Merry Christmas!

Today the boys celebrated their second Christmas. We all slept in until 10:30 and then eventually made our way over to Halmoni and Grandpa's house for lunch and opening presents, then later in the afternoon we packed up and headed down to Granny and Grandad's house.

Santa brought the boys got lots of cool new toys and clothes! Thank you sooo much everyone! To humor Caleb's affinty for ducks, Santa gave him a new stuffed duck that quacks and a wooden duck pull toy. And in honor of Joshua's love of shoes, he received a wooden lace-up shoe toy! Unfortunately, Joshua wasn't fooled by this imitation shoe and promptly went back to playing with dirty old shoes he found lying around the house. Two cardboard wrapping paper rolls proved to be wildly popular this Christmas, as well. The boys followed each other around the house brandishing their weapons, loudly proclaiming "Aaugh! Auugh!" We can't help but wonder if little girls behave this way, too? Our boys definitely act like boys!

Sweet Addison Grace

Today the boys met their new "cousin" Addison Grace! She came over to visit with Aunt Suzanne and Grandma Joyce, who also met the boys for the first time today. I was utterly amazed by how sweet and quiet Addison is. I only seem to have recollections of our boys crying incessantly when they were her age. We barely heard a peep out of Addison the whole time she was visiting... her mommy sure is blessed ;) We all had fun celebrating Christmas Eve (and Aunt Suzanne's birthday!) together!

Celebrity Status

So this must be what it feels like to be a celebrity. Today was a relatively warm day so I loaded up the boys and took them shopping in Old Town. While strolling along the ancient brick sidewalks, the boys were bombarded with ecstatic smiles, friendly stares, and gushing compliments from complete strangers. Rarely did we walk past a person who did not exhibit one of these reactions. Granted, the boys did look particularly cute and Christmasy in their matching green snowman overalls and red knit hats, but we have grown accustomed to such reactions in public places no matter the season or location. Whether we're at the grocery store, a restaurant, or simply taking a walk around the neighborhood, we have gotten used to all eyes being on the spectacle which is our twins. So now whenever Joe and I go out by ourselves without the boys in tow (which isn't very often), we can't help but feel slightly neglected. It takes us a while to get used to not being the center of attention!

Shoes!

I think Joshua has been hanging around Aunt Megan too much. He absolutely adores shoes. If he finds a pair of shoes lying around, he'll pick them up and walk around carrying them, or he'll give them to you, or he'll try to put them on. He has been known to try on Halmoni's clogs, on Sunday at Branden's birthday party he was trying to step into Catalina's high heels, and yesterday we caught him trying on Daddy's shoes. He has also been known to lie on the floor at people's feet and use their shoes as his pillow! He sure does love shoes. Maybe that's why he's always looking down at the ground...

First Haircut

So I finally gave the boys their first haircut, which many people seemed to think was long overdue. It was actually more like a trim, just around their ears and the back of the neck. I admit it does look a little more organized now, and hopefully now people will stop asking if one is a boy and the other is a girl. Halmoni distracted Caleb by reading him a book while I cut his hair, and I trimmed Joshua's locks while he took a nap. And Daddy- the one who'd been most persistently insisting that they should get a haircut- didn't even notice until the end of a long and arduous guessing game!

13 Months Old

Wow, the boys are already 1 year and 1 month old! They are doing new things every day now. Joshua's newest thing is that he will give you items that belong to you. For example, he will pick up your shoe and give it to you, or he will pick up your cell phone and give it to you. He likes to play peekaboo with Daddy's UVA hat. He will cover his face with the hat and then take it away quickly in anticipation of hearing us exclaim "Peekaboo!" He will also try to feed you if he is holding food and you open your mouth. And he likes to playfully bat people in the face, a habit which he finds hilarious but we are trying to discourage. Yesterday he was walking around Halmoni's kitchen kicking a measuring cup around like it was a soccer ball. Today he was standing up and trying to put his foot in his shoe! He now spends more time walking than crawling. It's so cute to see him trotting around and he is clearly very proud of himself!

Caleb has been walking a few steps here and there. He only walks when he is distracted and isn't thinking about what he is doing. For instance, Friday night we attended a friend's Christmas party and he was distracted by all of the people and his new environment, so he stood up and took a few steps, but as soon as he realized what he was doing he collapsed to his knees. He walked even more today, but once again only when he was distracted or he didn't think we were watching him! Caleb has also become quite proficient at holding and drinking from a juice box. He is not as much of a voracious eater as Joshua, but he does tend to be a neater eater, and Mommy appreciates that a lot! He also chews all of his food for a very long time before swallowing it, unlike Joshua who will swallow huge chunks of food whole (including 12-inch long japche noodles!). Caleb is a bright boy and at this tender age can already understand the book "Brown Bear Brown Bear What do You See?" When each animal is asked what he sees, Caleb will lean over and try to peek at the next page to find out what he sees (there is photo of him doing this in the December gallery). He only does the peeking thing with this book, so we're pretty sure that he understands the storyline.

Caleb walks!

Today Caleb took his first steps ever- about 5 or 6 steps in a row! Halmoni was holding his hands and helping him walk, then she let go and off went Caleb walking all by himself into his Mommy's arms!  We were all so surprised and happy that we started cheering and clapping, only to have Caleb start bawling! We think our applause must have caught him off-guard, compounded by the fact that he probably scared himself with his newfound mobility, since up until today he would rarely even stand up without holding onto anything!

On another note, yesterday after dinner Daddy noticed that Caleb's hands were wet and cold, but we figured it was probably because he had been playing in the dishwasher. Then today we caught him red-handed with his hand in the toilet bowl... eeew! We always keep the bathroom door closed at our house (and therefore the boys are always scrambling to try to get in there), but the door is not always closed at Halmoni and Grandpa's house, so Caleb jumped at the opportunity to make mischief in the forbidden room!

Adventures in self-feeding

We are currently transitioning the boys' mealtimes away from spoon-feeding jarred baby foods and towards self-feeding homemade meals. The boys have been eating chunks of raw organic pears, cooked organic carrots, clementines, sweet potato, turkey, banana chunks rolled in organic wheat germ, organic bran muffins, oatmeal pancakes, and french toast sticks made from whole grain bread and cage-free eggs. Do you notice a trend here? Yes, we're really trying to give the boys mostly organic and unprocessed foods. They have also been enjoying tastes of Halmoni's yummy Turkey a la king and spaghetti.

When I first fed the boys muffins, Caleb held his muffin and took little bites like a gentleman while Joshua smashed his up and threw most of it on the floor. He knows that this is not acceptable behavior, because he will pick up a piece and look right at me as he dangles it over the edge of his high chair tray. Then when he's sure I'm watching, he drops it and waits for my reaction with a thinly veiled smirk on his face. Rascal!

It has not been easy for me to sit back and calmly watch the boys tear through the food I so painstakingly prepared for them like Taz from Looney Toons. I just keep reminding myself that it's the experience that's important, and that they don't need to eat every smidgen of food for it not to be a wasted meal. And I must come to grips with the fact that food will inevitably end up on the floor, all over their clothes, and in their hair, and that the vacuum is just going to have to see a lot more action from now on!

Joshua is walking!

Joshua has been taking steps here and there for the past couple months, but I think it's safe to say that he is now officially a toddler. Over the past couple days he's been especially daring, walking distances of up to 20 feet at a time (tonight, for example, he walked from the end table in the living room to the chest of drawers in their bedroom) and sometimes moving his feet so quickly that it looks like he's running. He even jumps a little bit, too! It's so cute. We knew he could do it for a while now, but figured he was just waiting for his brother to catch up before taking off. But don't worry, sweet Caleb, your time will come soon!

Caleb disrobes

I guess taking his socks off was getting to be too boring. Today was a rather balmy November day, and so when Mommy wouldn't take his sweater off for him, he decided to do it himself! Well, he got it over his head but his arms were still partially stuck in the sleeves behind his back, so i helped him with that part. He and Joshua have both recently developed a great interest in trying to put clothes on and take them off all by themselves. He's getting to be such a big boy!

1-year stats

Today the boys went to the doctor for their 1-year-old check-up. Caleb is in the 40th percentile for weight at 21 lbs. 4 oz. He is in the 90th percentile for length at 31.5 inches, and the 70th percentile for head circumference at 18.5 inches. Joshua is also in the 40th percentile for weight at 21 lbs. 6 oz. He is in the 75th percentile for length at 30.5 inches, and the 50th percentile for head circumference at 18.25 inches. We take the length and head measurements with a grain of salt, however, since it's not easy to get a baby to lie perfectly still while being measured.

Both boys are perfectly healthy, aside from a cold that they're just now getting over. They went their entire first year of life without a cold, then caught one on their birthday!

The doctor (not our usual doc) made what we thought was a rather silly comment about the boys' skin color. She said "I can tell they like to eat yellow vegetables b/c their skin is yellow." We responded, "well, actually they're a quarter Korean- that's why they're yellow". But the doctor insisted that their Korean heritage had nothing to do with this skin color. We didn't feel like arguing, but it's obvious that their skin has always been slightly yellow, long before they ever tasted a yellow vegetable. Like when they were born and Caleb was diagnosed w/ jaundice, the hospital staff was perplexed b/c his skin looked a lot "worse" than the biliruben levels indicated. Let's face it- a yellowish complexion is the only Korean feature that these blue-eyed, fair-haired boys got! And they eat just as many if not more green veggies than yellow ones. Anyway, we just thought that was a really silly thing for the doctor to say!

Birthday Party!

The boys had their first birthday party today! We were thrilled that so many of you were able to make it! Thank you to both sets of grandparents for providing such yummy food, and thank you to everyone who travelled from near and far to attend this special event! We really appreciate it, and it's amazing to see how many loving and dedicated people the boys are blessed to have as their family and friends even at this early stage in their lives.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy 1st Birthday Caleb and Joshua! Today at 6:51 and 6:52 pm our sweet muffins turned one year old! Their birth seems like it was just yesterday, but at the same time we feel like they've been with us forever. They bring us such incredible joy and we can't imagine life without them. We couldn't have asked for healthier, cuter, sweeter, funnier, or smarter babies. God truly has blessed us beyond all our expectations and we are so very grateful.

Don't be like Peter!

Tonight Joshua walked all the way from the dishwasher to the fridge... a distance of about 5 feet! The funny thing is that he doesn't seem to realize what he's doing when he walks. He will get up and start moving his feet, and then all of a sudden his body will tell his brain "hey buddy, you're walking", and then his confidence suddenly plummets and he plops down on his butt. We tell him, "Don't be like Peter!" (Jesus' disciple who walked on the water until he lost faith and started to sink). Joshua also will not walk if he sees us watching him. As soon as he sees one of us, he'll plop down and crawl towards us!

Some more things the boys do

When we say "Yay!" or "Good boy!" the boys will stop what they're doing and start clapping. When we say "Yes!" they will make a "ssss" sound like they're trying to say it, too. If we make raspberry noises, they'll imitate us. They'll also imitate each other's sound effects.

If you're wearing a hat, they'll grab it and immediately drop it on the ground. Joshua especially has a penchant for dropping things on the ground and then staring at them intently from afar. In fact, Joshua is pretty much obsessed with the ground. When you pick him up, he'll immediately bend over and look at the ground. Caleb, on the contrary, will always look upwards when you pick him up.

Caleb is a very sweet boy who loves to see other babies, in real life and in pictures. Whenever he sees a picture of himself, Joshua, or another baby on the laptop screen, he'll smile and giggle.

Apparently, the boys' expensive taste goes beyond their preference for organic food. Both boys are particularly drawn to anything shiny and gold, such as Grandpa's pen and watch. They also like anything made of glass, and if you're drinking from a glass they will not hesitate to beg you for a taste.

One week to go!

Caleb and Joshua will be 1 year old in just one week!

These boys do some really cute and funny stuff. I keep thinking of things to write in this blog, but then when it comes time to write them, I always forget them all. Let's see...

They know they are not allowed to climb the stairs at Halmoni and Grandpa's house, so every time we're over there, they will crawl over to the stairs, turn around, and break out into a big, mischevious grin at an authority figure (parents, grandparents, or uncle). They think it's a game. They also seem to think that "No!" is the most hilarious word ever, especially when Mommy says it. They're also always eager to attack the house plants, and we always have to tell them "Gentle! Gentle!" Same goes for the stereo equiptment. If it's not behind locked doors, they will open the doors and stick their hands in the VCR!

It seems that their books are their favorite toys. When we read them a book, Joshua will bend down and look closely at each page, then sit back up and smack his legs when he's ready for us to turn the page. When they're crying about something, often the only things that will comfort them is reading a book or singing a song.

At our house, they are always trying to get into the bathroom. They think it's the greatest room ever. We hope they feel the same way when it's time for elimination communication! They also love to crawl under things- end tables, their cribs, whatever. They're pretty good at figuring out how to squeeze their way in and out of tight spaces- in this way they remind me of my pet rabbits I had growing up.

I recently got them some Baby Legs. They are the funky legwarmers you see them wearing in the November Gallery. They make diaper-changing so much easier since I don't have to fight with them to put their pants back on each time I change them. It's become harder and harder to change their diapers recently. They always want to be on the go doing anything but lying still on their backs!

Today I "made" them a playroom using the wider part of our sunroom, which up until today was basically used for storage because it was too hot during the summer and attracted lots of bugs. But now that Fall is here, the warm sunlight feels nice and the bug population has dwindled. It's only about a 6 x 6 ft. space, but it's nice and sunny and warm during the day. They seem to like it out there, but unless I'm sitting out there with them they will sooner or later come back into the living room to find me (and my laptop!).

Our Little Lions

Tonight the boys dressed up as lions and went trick-or-treating for their first Halloween. Now, I know that Halloween is a touchy subject for some people, so I just want to say that we certainly don't celebrate it and could definitely do without the spooky evil stuff. However, we always enjoyed trick-or-treating when we were little and think it would be fun for our boys to be able to participate in this tradition, too.

Anyway, we only went to a few houses of people that we're friends with, since we would have felt silly asking for treats on behalf of our babies who can't even walk and certainly are not going to be eating the candy! We still had fun, and the neighborhood streets were swarming with people of all ages. Fun times!

Our Little Waddler

We've noticed that the boys have each developed their own unique crawling styles. While Joshua's crawl is more streamlined, Caleb sort of waddles along the floor, rocking from side to side and shaking his butt with each planting of the knee. His waddling is very cute, although not very efficient.

Teething trials

Lately the boys have been teething. Their most recent bout of teething caused Joshua to run a fever, and for a couple of days he was very tired and lethargic (not his usual self at all!) and therefore took a lot of naps during prime playtime hours. As a result, Caleb frequently grew lonesome for his playmate. I often caught him pouncing on, hitting (in a loving way, of course), and crawling over his slumbering brother, as if to say, "Wake up, bro! Let's play!". Amazingly, Joshua often snoozed right through these attacks, much to Caleb's disappointment. Thank God Joshua is feeling much better now, so Caleb has his playmate's company once again.

Today was Halmoni's birthday! We went to the Korean restaurant to celebrate. The boys feasted on rice, pumpkin porridge, and bits of avocado we picked off of the sushi. Then the boys had fun trying to pick raspberries off of Halmoni's birthday cake!

Kudos to Caleb

I just wanted to give kudos to Caleb for becoming such a good eater lately, just like his brother! Gone are the days of turning his nose up to veggies, and he's no longer stingy about how wide he opens his mouth to an incoming spoon. He used to open his mouth ever-so-slightly and then clamp it shut when the spoon was only a third of the way into his mouth. This little trick of his was a daily test of our patience. For months we adamantly insisted that he eat veggies every day, even though sneaking them into his mouth was a struggle more often than not! As a general rule we fed him veggies for breakfast before he'd tasted anything sweet, and we also mixed them with fruit and meats. I knew that he had turned over a new leaf when he willingly ate plain green beans (which admittedly taste pretty bland) this past week! Way to go, Caleb! You've come a long way!

11 months old

Caleb and Joshua are 11 months old!

This past month the boys have learned to say "bye bye" while waving goodbye. In fact, when we're reading them Goodnight Moon, they will wave their hands and say "bye bye" when the little bunny says "goodnight" to all of the things in his room! These boys really do love books. Caleb especially will often crawl over to their basket full of books, select a favorite book and sit by himself and "read", sometimes aloud and sometimes silently. One of the boys' new favorites is a silly book titled Happy Easter Corduroy. As soon as Joshua hears us reading the first line of the book, "It's Easter, and Corduroy is dying eggs..." he stops whatever he's doing and scurries over to read along.

Joshua and Caleb each have two teeth protruding from their bottom gums. They are becoming better eaters, too. Every day they eat a well-rounded meal of vegetables, fruits, meats, and cereal. We always make sure to feed them their veggies first, though, because once they've tasted sweet fruits there's no going back! They still seem to get most of their nourishment, however, from mama's milk.

When Joshua is excited to see something, he wants us to know how excited he is. One of the things that make him excited is the caterpillar at the beginning of Baby Einstein movies. As soon as he hears the caterpillar's music, he'll turn his head every which way until he makes eye contact with me, then he'll break out into a huge grin and exclaim happily. It's so cute... it's as if he wants me to know how happy he is and share his happiness!

Joshua likes to put things on his head and around his neck, including Daddy's (clean) underwear and other articles of clothes, mommy's work badge, and bowls. But for some reason he doesn't like to wear hats! We got the boys some cute UVA caps but he and Caleb are always taking them off and throwing them on the ground! Joshua is especially fascinated with gravity and loves to throw all sorts of things on the ground and watch them fall.

Caleb has learned to tell me when he has a poopy diaper. As soon as he poos, he will crawl over to me and tug on my leg until I pick him up and change his diaper. What a smart boy! I think I'm going to try to do elimination communication with him soon after his first birthday.

1st Birthday Party! Save the Date!

Caleb and Joshua's 1st birthday party will be the afternoon of Saturday, November 11th, the day after their first birthday. Please save the date. Details will follow in the coming weeks.

Weekend Getaway

This past weekend we went to Smith Mt. Lake with Granny, Grandad, Uncle Patrick, Frances, Aunt Faith, Uncle Jay, and Cousins James and Nolan. It was so much fun! We're very grateful that Granny and Grandad invited us to come along!

The boys were so well-behaved while riding in the car (about 12 hours round-trip!). They really like their Britax car seats. Ever since they got these seats, they've hardly complained at all about riding in the car (they used to cry in the car all the time). I've got to admit they do look awfully plush and comfy!

While we were at the lake, Joshua climbed a full flight of stairs for the first time! He also took 2 steps for the first time. Caleb practiced standing some more, although he was usually too busy burying his head in a book to bother with standing and walking!

This afternoon on our way home we stopped in Charlottesville so the boys could visit the Taco Bell which used to be their Mommy and Daddy's favorite hang-out, and also so the boys could visit their future alma mater for the first time :)

Caleb Cuts Tooth #1 and Stands

Caleb cut his first tooth today! I was feeding him a late night snack of bananas, apples, and pears when I noticed something sharp and white poking through his gums. It’s the same as Joshua’s first tooth… the left front one on the lower gums.

Caleb has also started standing all by himself, too, for about 5-10 seconds at a time! Go Caleb!

Dori dori

Dori dori is the Korean expression that describes the way a baby quickly shakes his head back and forth from side to side. Caleb does this all the time, now. He especially likes to do this when we're trying to feed him. He thinks it's a game. He'll dori dori dori until we've reached the point of exasperation, at which point he'll pause long enough to let us stuff food in his mouth. He'll also shake his head to tell us he doesn't want to eat, so sometimes mealtimes can be a little confusing!

In other news, this weekend we finally met our across-the-street neighbors and found out that they have twin boys, too! Their twins just turned 3. If we decide to stick around in this neighborhood, they'll make a nice set of playmates for our boys someday! Isn't it kind of sad that you can live across the street from someone for 6 months without ever having met them? But it seems that now that cooler weather has finally arrived, the neighborhood is coming to life as people are emerging from their air-conditioned shells. Yay for Fall!

Joshua's First Step

This evening while Joshua was playing "summa" with Halmoni, he took his first step without falling down! In case you're wondering, "summa" is the Korean game Halmoni plays with the boys where they stand up without holding onto anything while she says "summa summa summa..." Anyway, Joshua took several steps (not consecutively, which would be walking... he's not quite there yet, but close!) He was so proud of himself... he smiled and laughed heartily each time he took a step! What a big boy!

Joshua's Jaws

Joshua got his first tooth today! I was feeding him some banana crackers this afternoon when I noticed something sharp and white poking through his lower gums!

Caleb's new talent

Caleb loves to squeal and shreik at the top of his lungs. Today while sitting by the front door (which was open to let in fresh air, and because the boys enjoy gazing out the screen door), Caleb started shreiking and squealing at the top of his lungs- sharp piercing squeals, loud enough for the entire block to hear. Joshua then starts cracking up, encouraging Caleb to squeal and shriek even more. And so their conversation ensued- shriek, laugh, squeal, giggle, back and forth for about 5 minutes. It was so cute, albeit loud. These little funny guys love coming up with ways to make each other laugh- I wonder what they'll think of next?

10 months old

It's become more evident in the past month how much the boys cherish each other's company. It's such a blessing to have a twin. When they see each other for the first time each morning, huge grins sweep across both of their faces as if they're both thinking, "Oh yeah, you exist! Yay!" One time last week Joshua was jumping in the Jumperoo and Caleb pulled himself up and grabbed onto the toy bar facing his brother and they bounced and laughed hysterically together. There are pictures of this in the September 2006 gallery. And now that they're crawling, they will spot each other from across the room, make eye contact, break out into wide smiles, and excitedly crawl towards each other.

But of course as with any sibling relationship, they also get into occasional scuffles. They will pull each other's hair (what little there is to pull!), give each other headlocks, fall on top of each other, and knock each other down. At this point all of these scuffles for the most part seem to be accidental. They will, however, quite purposefully snatch each other's toys. Joshua is particularly intent on having for himself whatever his brother has taken interest in playing with.

Caleb continues to show signs of being slightly more studious while Joshua's extrovert qualities continue to grow. Caleb can often be found sitting alone, looking at a book, studying the text just as much if not more than the illustrations. Then he will look up at you to let you know that he wants you to read him the book he has found. He is so sweet. Joe calls him his "Sweet Muffin". Another example is that Pop Pop has noticed when he walks the boys around at Old Country Buffet (they love touring the restuarant with Pop Pop), Caleb always chooses to study the lights and signs hanging from the ceiling, while Joshua prefers to scope out all the different people. Not only is Joshua more social, he is also a bit more daring than his cautious older brother. He was the first one to experiment with letting go and standing by himself. He seems a bit more athletic and nimble at this point, as well. He is usually more interested in throwing books than reading them! But he is also very sweet, just like his brother. He is the most agreeable eater and will happily devour anything we offer him! Caleb is not so cooperative and feeding him can sometimes be stressful, so we really appreciate having at least one baby with a hearty appetite!

The boys have also begun to develop an understanding of what they are and are not allowed to do, and they like to see what they can get away with! For instance, they both love grabbing Pop Pop's shiny golden pen from his shirt pocket. He doesn't let them play with it very much, of course, because they could easily poke themselves in the eye with it. So whereas previously they would reach for the pen without thinking twice, they'll now watch Pop Pop's face to see his reaction as they reach for it. It's amazing that they're already developing a sense of right and wrong, and an understanding of rules. 

Sometimes people ask me what it's like to have twins. My reply is that it's wonderful, the only downside being that you don't get much sleep. The other day I told someone that I haven't gotten 7 straight hours of sleep in the past year and half (since in the last few months of my pregnancy I couldn't sleep through the night, either), and she seemed pretty shocked. But that's life as we know it at the present time. The boys are getting much better at sleeping at night, but they usually don't go to bed until midnight, and at best one of them wakes up at least twice during the night. And it's always a scramble to try to placate the crying baby before he wakes up his brother! We can only imagine the luxury of only trying to get one baby to sleep! But despite being perpetually tired (and we're so used to it that it's really not that bad) we thank God daily for giving us these sweet and precious twin boys, and we wouldn't trade this blessing for the world!

Crawling

Remember when we predicted that Caleb and Joshua would skip crawling (as 17% of babies do) and go straight to walking? Well, we were wrong. For the past couple weeks, they have been crawling a few feet at a time, especially Caleb, but nothing more. Then this past weekend we left the boys with their Granny and Grandad for a few hours while we attended Sarah and Scott's wedding, returning only to find that they were now crawling all the way across the living room floor! Now they're both crawling all over the place. They are especially eager to crawl towards someone they are excited to see, or towards the TV or a laptop.

First words

While Caleb and Joshua have been saying "Mama" and "Dada" for a while now, within the past couple weeks it has become clear that they now know what those words mean. For instance, they will say "Mama! Mama!" while looking straight at me, and will stop as soon as I pick them up. Such smart boys! ;)

The boys are also cruising all over the place now. They love to walk over to my laptop and pound on it. They're also testing their limits more and more each day... lately they have been letting go of the couch or table with one hand while simultaneously hoisting one leg way up in the air. Caleb likes to do repetitive squats while holding on to the couch- up and down, up and down. His thick Wolf legs must be pure muscle! Joshua will let go with both hands and stand up all by himself for up to a minute, now. He can even bounce up and down while standing without holding on to anything. Yesterday he tried to take a step but promptly fell over. We're pretty sure that it won't be long before he's walking.

I spoke too soon...

Joshua pulled himself up today! He got on his knees, then sort of climbed up the side of the couch until he was standing next to it. Go Joshua!

Standing tall

Tonight Caleb pulled himself up to a standing position using the couch. This is the first time he's pulled up using anything other than crib rails. I missed seeing how he did it because I was too busy buried behind my laptop working on updating this site :-(. I just looked up and saw him standing up with a huge smile on his face, obviously very proud of his accomplishment!

Joshua has yet to pull himself up, but his current claim to fame is that he can stand up without holding onto anything for about 30 seconds at a time! You can tell by his big smile that he is so proud of himself, too!

9 months old

Yesteday the twins turned 9 months old! Today we took them to the doctor for their 9-month check-up. And thank God they are perfectly healthy... we couldn't ask for a better report!

Caleb and Joshua are practically the same size. Both boys are in the 45th percentile for weight, with Caleb at 19 lbs. 9 oz. and Joshua at 19 lbs. 10 oz. They're both in the 75th percentile for length, with Caleb measuring 29 inches and Joshua measuring 29.25 inches. They both have the exact same head circumfrence of 18.25 inches, which is in the 74th percentile. This is the first time Joshua has measured slightly larger than Caleb overall. It's probably because Caleb is much more, shall we say, selective at mealtimes, although his tastebuds are learning to become more and more tolerant each day!

Dr. Russell noticed that both Caleb and Joshua studied his face quite intently while he examined them. He said that this shows that they are very studious and are more inclined to take time to think about something instead of hastily jumping to conclusions. He said most babies will either cry immediately or smile readily at him when he examines them, but the fact that Caleb and Joshua studied him so seriously before deciding that they didn't need to cry means that they are very good thinkers, and is a quality that will stick with them throughout their lives.

The doctor also said they are not teething yet, and that it's perfectly normal not to get their first teeth until 15 months. That is fine with us... it means one less thing to worry about keeping clean, and it also means we can continue nighttime feedings without worrying about rotting teeth.

At 9 months, the boys still aren't crawling (Caleb's "crawling" described in an earlier post would probably be better described as "creeping") but they are both doing quite well taking small steps while holding on to furniture. Halmoni plays "summa" with them and Daddy plays "balance" to help them practice standing up. We have a feeling that these boys are going to skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking.

Cruisin' and Crawlin'

In the past couple days, Joshua has started cruising (walking while holding on to furniture, in this case, the couch) and Caleb has started crawling! Admittedly neither of them got very far using their newfound modes of transportation... they have been moving several feet at a time, at most.

The cruising occured the other day when Joshua and Caleb were both standing up and holding on to the couch, one at each end. I went downstairs to do some laundry, and when I came back up a couple minutes later, Joshua had cruised over to Caleb's end of the couch!

Then yesterday I put a Baby Einstein DVD in my laptop for the boys to watch while they played on the floor. Well, Caleb was of course more interested in my laptop than the puppets and music, so he crawled to my laptop and started pounding on it. Amazed, I moved the laptop further away from him, and he crawled toward it again. Then I moved it even further, and he crawled toward it yet again! Needless to say, he was not very happy with me for putting him to work to get to his precious laptop. Then last night a Lord and Taylor catalog was the bait that motivated him to crawl. Anything for a taste of delicious paper!

Harris Faulkner and Doubletree

Despite our weak attempts to limit the boys' TV viewing, they already have a favorite television personality and commercial. Whenever the boys catch a glimpse of FOX News anchorwoman Harris Faulkner, they break out into wide grins and wave their hands in the air and/or clap excitedly. They really have a big crush on her!

Also on the FOX News Channel is a Doubletree commercial whose soundtrack captivates the boys so much that as soon as they hear it they'll immediately stop whatever they're doing (they'll even stop whining/crying), and listen to the music intently. If they can see the TV, they'll turn their heads to watch. We really ought to find out what that song is so we can buy the CD and play it for the boys at bedtime!

Baby Dedication

This morning Caleb and Joshua had their baby dedication at church. We know God is going to bless these boys and use them to do great things for His kingdom! Joe might put an audio clip of Pastor Steve's dedication prayer up here on the site, so check back soon! I'm also waiting to get actual photos of the dedication, which are on Great Aunt Sooja's camera (hint, hint! ;)) Siobhan took some pictures, too, but she is on vacation right now. So check the July Gallery in a week or two!

Small Stuff

Mommy's disclaimer: While these little anecdotes and observations may not fascinate you, I'm recording them anyway so that later on we'll have memories of all the cute little things Caleb and Joshua did when they were wee babes.

In the past week Joshua has started cocking his head 90 degrees and gazing thoughtfully into the face of the person he is studying. He looks so cute when he does this! In the past couple days Caleb has started a new thing where he clenches his hands into fists and his whole body becomes tense and trembles. It looks so funny! Caleb also likes to punch his fists out in front of himself and grunt loudly when he's excited. We imagine that such displays of raw masculinity would be unheard of in a girl baby- these boys definitely act like boys!

Joshua and Caleb are interacting with each other more and more each day. They are constantly smiling, laughing, and grabbing at each other. Joshua particularly likes to grab Caleb's head and attempt to suck on it. Both boys also find it very amusing when the other is straining and grunting while, um, "taking care of business".

While Joshua has yet to refuse to eat anything we've offered him, Caleb has demonstrated that he has rather expensive culinary taste. He will only eat organic meat! He turns up his nose to plain ole Gerber, but will gladly eat Tender Harvest or Earth's Best brands, which of course cost nearly twice as much! How can his refined tastebuds tell the difference? Who knows! Oh well, at least the organic stuff is healthier for him. And forget bottles and sippy cups- these boys are always grabbing for Mommy and Daddy's drinking glasses in hopes that they'll be allowed to have a sip or two.

Some of the boys' favorite toys include carboard tubes from rolls of aluminum foil, TV remotes (and they're no dummies... they know the difference between the ones that work and the ones that don't, and they'll only have anything to do with the real thing!), vitamin bottles, computer keyboards and cords, phones (again, only ones that actually work), spoons, stainless steel mixing bowls, drinking straws, their cloth diapers, magazines, and paper. And of course their Jumperoo is still always a sure-fire hit!

Fun with vomit

Yesterday we took Caleb to see the doctor because he has been gushing vomit about once a day for the past week. The doctor checked him out and said he's perfectly healthy and gaining a good amount of weight (he now weighs 19 lbs. 5 oz.) and that the throwing up is just a phase that will go away on its own. And she was right... he hasn't thrown up since Tuesday! Thank God! We're just glad that we have leather furniture because anything else would be pretty disgusting by now (a worthwhile investment for all of you out there who are planning on having a baby someday)!

Pull-ups

Today Caleb pulled himself up all by himself using the crib rails! I lowered the adjustable side of the crib so that it was about 1 foot off the ground. While sitting on the ground, Caleb grabbed onto the rails and pulled himself up, stood there for a minute, then sat back down. He did this twice! Go Caleb!

Happy 8 Months!

Today the boys turned 8 months old! Here's an update on some things they've been doing recently.

Caleb claps his hands with open palms when he's happy, particularly when we break out in song or when he observes his brother's comical antics. Joshua has only recently started clapping, but seems to exhibit greater dexterity overall. He is particularly good at snatching toys away from his brother. Caleb is very mild-mannered and rarely puts up a fight, unless the "toy" of interest happens to be the coveted TV remote control! It's fascinating how even at their tender age, the grass already looks greener on the other side. They have tons of toys at their disposal, yet they are most drawn to whatever the other boy is playing with!

Joshua is extremely vocal, especially in the morning when he wakes up. He's our little alarm clock. Caleb is noisy too, but his specialty is making sound effects like smacking and clucking noises. The boys have frequent baby babble "conversations" that usually involve them cracking up at each other. They must have pretty good senses of humor!

Both boys have started bouncing up and down on their butts while sitting on the floor, as if they're trying to bounce themselves up into a standing position. They love to stand up-- it's a struggle to get them to sit down these days. They arch their backs and put up a stubborn fight whenever we try to get them to sit. If you sit next to them on the floor, they'll grab onto you and pull themselves up into a standing position all by themselves. Now we're trying to teach them to grab onto inanimate objects to pull themselves up.

Babies on Parade

Today Caleb and Joshua marched (well, actually were strolled) in their first 4th of July parade! Last night Halmoni and Katie decorated their stroller with American flags and sewed shiny starts on their red hats... needless to say the boys looked very festive! We walked in the parade with Ginnie and her niece Mya. It was lots of fun, although the boys slept most of the way since they hadn't gotten hardly any sleep the night before.

The parade culminated at the pool where there was a carnival/festival going on. Joe was determined to win a cake in the cakewalk so he teamed up with Grandpa to increase his odds of winning, and Grandpa ended up winning a cake! Also, Caleb and Joshua got to meet some of Katie's old friends, including Sydney and Drew, twin girls whom she used to babysit and coach on swim team! We all enjoyed a nice swim in the pool and then the boys took naps on GiGi and Gubby. The boys also got their first sunburn today... just a little pink on their cheeks. We'll have to be more careful in the future!

Sleepy, sippin' boys

Tonight Caleb and Joshua both fell asleep on their own in their cribs without crying! Thank God! We've been looking forward to this for a long time. They were both asleep by about 11 o'clock.

Also today both boys drank a few sips of apple juice from a sippy cup! This was also a great milestone, considering they have refused to drink from bottles since they were about 2 months old. Next we'll have to see if they're willing to drink milk from a sippy cup...

People are funny

Today Caleb, Joshua, and I went to hang out with Marianne and our first order of business was to take the boys to Roy Roger's for lunch. As we approached the counter, each carrying a baby, the cashiers exclaimed "awww!!! twins!!! etc." Marianne ordered first then went to sit down with one of the boys, then I ordered, and my cashier said "So, you're their nanny?" And I politely explained that no, I was actually their mother, and went on to explain that the boys look like their father. Considering how often I find myself explaining this, it sure is tempting to dye the boys' hair or get them some tinted contact lenses or something...

Then something happened that has never happened before. While we were eating, a fellow diner kindly retrieved a spoon Joshua had thrown on the floor and asked us how old the boys are. We replied, "7 months." She looked surprised, saying "oh really, they both are? How neat!" And Marianne was like "umm yeah, they're twins..." And the lady went on to say how adorable they are, and talked a while about her own grandbabies. Then as she was leaving she congratulated us both. What? She must have thought Marianne was joking about them being twins. So today officially marked the first time someone assumed Joshua and Caleb were not twins! Good grief, people usually have a hard time believing us when we tell them they're not identical, so for this nice lady to think that Caleb was my son and Joshua (who ironically looks more like me than Caleb) was Marianne's son was totally off the hook! They were wearing non-matching outfits today, but still! We just had to laugh!

Anyway, after lunch we went swimming. The boys stayed in the pool for a whole hour! It was lots of fun! We really need to go swimming more often.

Happy Father's Day

Today was Joe's first Father's Day! Happy Father's Day Joe, Grandpa, and Grandad! Today the boys celebrated by going to the Korean restaurant with Daddy, Mommy, Grandpa, Halmoni, Uncle Chris, and Uncle Bob. They are now sitting in restuarant high chairs like old pros!

This past week Caleb learned to go to sleep at night on his own, without being fed or rocked to sleep! The first couple nights he cried himself to sleep, but since then he's gone to bed as soon as we put him in his crib! Wow! What an answer to prayer! He still wakes up at least once each night, usually, but it's a huge improvement so I don't mind at all. Joshua's bedtime routine, however, is still a work in progress. The tricky thing is that since the boys share a room (and a very small room at that), Joshua will have to learn to fall asleep (e.g. cry himself tp sleep) on his own somewhere else where he won't be literally screaming in Caleb's ears. Ahh, the wonderful complexities of raising twins...

In other news, both boys are now demonstrating signs of maturation such as clapping their hands and smiling when they're happy, passing objects from hand to hand, trying to take toys away from each other, and making sounds like "mamamama" and "wawawawawa" and "babababa" etc.

Homemade Victuals

Today I made the boys some homemade food from scratch for the first time. I cooked them some butternut squash, broccoli, and peaches. Caleb shot me a few looks of consternation while eating the broccoli and even gagged a few times. He was still a good sport and ate a fair amount of it. Joshua is a little less picky about what he eats and was a little more eager to gulp the green goodness down.  

Also today I caught Caleb sucking on his toes for the first time. Both boys have been working at getting their feet to their mouths for a while now. I guess I can't blame them, their cute little toes look awfully sweet!

Back from the Lake

Today we got back from our week at the lake with the boys' Granny and Grandaddy Wolf, Uncle Patrick, Aunt Faith, Uncle Jay, Cousin James, and Cousin Nolan. "Aunt" Frances was also there for a day. We had so much fun! The boys went on their very first boat rides. They loved taking naps on Granny and Aunt Faith while riding in the pontoon. They also went swimming once and tried out the cool life vests their grandparents got for them. Mommy and Daddy had fun riding the speedboat, tubing, and unsuccessfully attempting to water ski. We are very grateful to Granny and Grandad for inviting us along on their vacation!

The boys celebrated their 7-month birthday yesterday (which was also their Grandad Dave's birthday)! They are growing so well. They'll now not only stand up but also take steps and "walk" if you hold their hands! They are really good at eating from a spoon now, too. Their favorite foods are squash, pears, carrots, peaches, prunes (out of necessity!), peas, applesauce, and any of the above mixed with rice or oatmeal. They still don't have any teeth, but we can feel them right beneath the surface of their gums. Joshua and Caleb have also discovered their feet this past month (perhaps they would have earlier, but the weather is finally warm enough for them to go barefoot). They love grabbing their feet and playing with their toes. Both boys also continue to enjoy jumping and bouncing while you hold them, giving whoever holds them a solid workout.

Gifted Insomniacs?

While reading our What to Expect in the First Year book, Joe came across a section identifying the traits of a gifted child. And by golly one of the traits was refusing to sleep or take naps because they want to stay awake and "learn"! Haha! We're not sure whether or not this theory has any substance to it or if it was developed just to make sleep-deprived parents feel better... we're just letting it make us feel better for now!

Beach Babes

This past weekend we introduced the twins to our tradition of visiting the Hubbards in Virginia Beach, along with a bunch of Mommy and Daddy's friends from college, for the Memorial Day holiday. The Hubbards were very gracious to open their home to us and the tornado of baby gear that follows us everywhere we go. Thank you so much for a wonderful weekend! 

We slathered the boys up with sunscreen and hit the beach on Sunday, then took the boys for their very first swim (in the pool... the ocean was too cold for babies) on Monday. The boys absolutely loved being outside at the beach, listening to the loud crashing waves. They also loved swimming in the pool, even though the water was a little chilly. They didn't complain or show displeasure once, not even when the water splashed in their faces. The boys were particularly good at kicking their legs in the water. I think I see swim team in their future!

Happy Mother's Day

Today was Katie's first mother's day! We went to Hee Been with Halmoni, Grandpa, Sooja Emo, and Cousin Tae to celebrate. Joshua and Caleb had their first taste of solid Korean food- pumpkin porridge. The boys were hungry and the porridge had the consistency of baby food, so we threw caution to the wind, much to the boys' delight. We realize we're taking a rather unorthodox approach to introducting solid foods to our babies, but they seem to be doing just fine.

Yesterday the boys tasted their first meat! We made them a homemade turkey/applesauce/apple juice blend which they eagerly devoured. Today the boys had their first vegetable- carrots- which we were surprised to see they found quite tasty, despite the doctor's naysaying about the risks of encouraging sweeth-tooths by introducing fruits prior to veggies. Caleb is especially good at eating from a spoon and will grab at the spoon with both of his hands and greedily pull it towards his mouth! He'll probably be feeding himself in no time!

The boys also wanted to wish their Grammy a Happy Mother's day and say "we can't wait to see you at the lake!"

6 Month Stats

The boys went to the doctor's for their 6 month check up this morning! Here are their stats:

Caleb is in the 50th percentile for weight at 17 lbs. 5 oz. He is in the 92nd percentile for height at 27.75 inches. His head circumference is in the 85th percentile at 17.75 inches.

Joshua has nearly caught up to his brother and is also in the 50th percentile for weight at 17 lbs. 4 oz. He is in the 90th percentile for height at 27.5 inches. His head circumference is in the 75th percentile at 17.5 inches.

Both boys are very healthy, and we thank God for that. We learned that we should now be feeding them 3 square solid food meals a day, including cereal, fruits and veggies, and meats. Oops, I guess we should have gotten the boys started on solids a little earlier!

After we left the doctor's office the boys went over to Camden's house to play! Camden took a nap for a lot of the time, but the boys enjoyed playing with his toys. We're hoping Camden will be a good influence on Caleb and Joshua and convince them that taking naps is what the cool kids do!

First Half Birthday

Caleb and Joshua are growing and learning so well! They can now sit up independently and play with each other, they can grab and play with toys, they love bathtime (last week Caleb accidentally rolled head-first into a sink-full of water and he didn't even cry!), their teeth are on the verge of coming in, and they will mercilessly grab your hair and pinch your skin!

Caleb is still the shy twin. He is very cautious and insists on keeping tabs on whoever is holding him. He'll frequently throw his head back and stare up at you when you're holding him, studying your face quite intently, double and triple-checking your face every few minutes. Joshua is more carefree and would prefer to curiously scope out his surroundings when he's in your arms. We suspect that Caleb will have the task of keeping his younger brother in line when the two get older!

Both boys have been almost exclusively breastfed since birth. They've refused to drink formula since they were about 2 months old. It's amazing to see how big and fat they've grown just on breastmilk! Other than milk, we have only fed them rice cereal once or twice (and probably would more often if it didn't take extra time to prepare) and we've let them suck on strawberries, oranges, and other fruits a handful of times. This past week we introduced them to Gerber pears and peaches, which they seem to enjoy.

Both Joshua and Caleb love to jump, and they don't limit their jumping to the Jumperoo. Sometimes when we're holding them and they're standing up (they usually prefer standing to sitting), they'll just start jumping up and down on your lap while you hold them!

Joshua is our little kicker. He is constantly kicking his legs in the air. He also likes to lift both legs up in the air and thump them simultaneously against the floor, mattress, or wherever he may be. We think he's going to be a great soccer player/taekwondo chopper/butterfly swimmer.

Caleb is our little roller. He loves to roll over and sleep on his side or his tummy. When he's in his crib, he rolls onto his side and sticks his arms through the bars of his crib and hugs the bumper while he sleeps. Joshua, on the other hand, still prefers sleeping on his back on a big pillow in bed with Mommy and Daddy...

Speaking of sleep, the boys still have not grasped the wonderful concept of sleeping through the night or going to bed at a reasonable hour. These days we've been hard pressed to get them both asleep before 1 am... only to have them both wake up at least once or twice (often more) throughout the night. We've tried the "Ferber" method of letting them cry themselves to sleep, but it doesn't really work since they sleep in the same room and their cries will keep each other awake, and sometimes if we let them cry long enough they'll throw up! We're amazed by how big Joshua and Caleb have grown on so little sleep. We suppose they would be Amazon babies if they actually did sleep the normal amount!

All in all, we are so blessed and pleased with the boys' growth and good health. They are such sweet boys and we thank God for blessing us with them. We also thank Halmoni and Grandpa for letting us live with them these past 6 months. We seriously don't know how we would have coped on our own!

Brotherly laughter

Tonight, on the eve of their 6-month birthday, Caleb and Joshua made each other laugh for the first time! The boys were sitting on the floor and playing with each other at the time. By playing with each other we mean staring intently and making faces at each other while flailing their arms around and making b-b-b-b-b noises with their tongues and babbling. Then Caleb started laughing... and laughing and laughing and laughing! Joshua chuckled a little, too.  It was so cute. Maybe they are already beginning to communicate in their own secret language that we've heard twins sometimes invent to talk between themselves. We can only imagine how nice it must be to have a twin to play and laugh with, even when you're as young as 6 months old. The boys sure are blessed.

Alert the Press!

One of the perks of living in the D.C. area is that you never know who you'll run into. For example, today while Caleb and Joshua were out on a walk with Mommy, they met President Bush's newly appointed Press Secretary! He was very friendly and the boys were very happy to meet him!

Won't you be my neighbor?

On Wednesday Caleb and Joshua met some new neighbor babies! In the afternoon they went for a walk with Mommy and met Madison and Kyle who live around the corner and down the street. Then later in the evening when Daddy came home from work, we went for another walk and met baby Matthew, who was on a walk with his mommy who was in labor with his little sister Mary! We all walked around the block together once before they decided it was time to go to the hospital. Turns out they live in Aunt Joyce's old house where Katie practically spent half of her childhood playing with the boys' Aunt Suzanne! Maybe Joshua and Caleb will get to play with their new friends in that house someday, too!

Meeting Mi

This afternoon the boys went on an outing to their second cousin Tae's apartment and met their Aunt Mi who was visiting from Califorrnia. She was very happy to meet them! We all enjoyed a nice walk outside to a Korean restaurant where Tae treated everyone to a delicious dinner! Thank you, Tae!

Old Country Blessings

This evening we went to OCB with Halmoni and Grandpa. Midway through the meal Joshua was getting antsy so a Korean lady who was sitting at the table next to ours offered to hold him so we could eat. Joshua calmed down immediately in her arms. She asked us what his name is, and we told her it was Joshua. Her husband then exclaimed, "Oh, then his twin must be Caleb!" Turns out her husband and the other man sitting with them are pastors (most people act confused when we tell them Caleb's name- they usually think we said "Kayla" and assume we have boy-girl twins.) Anyway, the pastors said "Oh, that's terrific, our nation needs to raise up good leaders like Joshua and Caleb!" Then they said "Let's pray!" and laid their hands on the boys and prayed blessings on them right there in Old Country Buffet! We thought that was pretty cool.

What's up, Doc?

Yesterday the boys visited the doctor who delivered them! She was smitten by their cuteness and impressed by their large size, considering they were only a little over 6 lbs. the last time she saw them!

Lately the boys have been perfecting their sitting up skills. Caleb can maintain an unassisted sitting position for almost 10 minutes before he gets tired and topples over. He sits and plays with toys we place in front of him. Joshua is also getting better at sitting up, but still would rather play on his tummy- a position Caleb is not as fond of.

The boys are playing and interacting with each other a lot more these days. They like to hold hands and suck each other's fists, and when they're looking at each other they'll smile, wave their arms, and kick their legs in excitement!

First Easter

Last weekend Grammy Susan gave the boys a bunch of fun new Easter books to read. Aunt Suzanne, who was Katie's "twin" sister when she was a little girl, sent them fuzzy Easter bunny baskets and lots of toys and cute clothes all the way from Washington (state, not DC!). The boys say "thank you Aunt Suzanne and we can't wait to meet you in person someday soon!"

On Easter morning the boys went to church and saw some real live bunnies, lambs, and a donkey. Then Uncle Chris, Sooja Emo, and Mama Lena all came over to our (Halmoni and Grandpa's) house for lunch. Sooja Emo brought the boys lots of treats from her trip to San Francisco, including some hilarious hats which you can see the boys modeling in the April Gallery. All in all, the boys had a great Easter celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus!

We fondly recall last Easter when we first shared with our families the good news that we were expecting a baby (that's when we also found out that our good friends Trent and Siobhan were expecting, too)! Who would've guessed a year later we'd be here with not just one baby, but twins! We thank God for our many blessings.

Five months!

Happy 5 month birthday, Caleb and Joshua!

Over the hills and through the woods...

This weekend the twins visited their Gr____ and Gr____ Wolf (actual appellations TBD)! They were surprised by how little the boys sleep (see, we haven't been fabricating these tales of sleeplessness... It's actually pretty remarkable how big the boys have grown in spite of the paltry amount of sleep they get)! The boys also cheered up their Great Grandma Wolf with a visit, and enjoyed showers of attention at their grandparents' church!

Sitting Wolfs

Joshua sat up on his own for about a minute today! Caleb sat up for about 30 seconds!

Little things

Today we thought we would catch you up on some of the little things we tend to take for granted, but are worth mentioning.

Caleb and Joshua are very musical babies. In addition to their nightly guitar lessons with Daddy, they also love it when we sing to them... it even stops their crying (most people would probably start crying!). Their favorite songs are John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Jesus Loves Me, and We Will Rock You.

Both twins love to suck their fingers. Joshua prefers his thumb while Caleb opts for his index and middle fingers. We just have to wash their hands a lot, since friendly (but not necessarily germ-free!) people are always coming up to them and touching their chubby little hands. The boys have been pacifier-free for over a month, which is fine with us since fingers don't fly across the room when they're spit out!

The boys have recently become really shy around people whom they aren't familiar with. Caleb is especially shy, while Joshua is a little more tolerant of unfamiliar faces. Both boys seem to be especially terrified of people with blonde hair, probably because they're most accustomed to people with dark hair or no hair! So if the boys scream bloody murder when you try to hold them, please don't take it personally! If you stick it out while they scream in your arms, chances are they'll eventually warm up to you and you'll have them smiling and maybe even laughing in no time!

Caleb and Joshua are super talkative. Every morning we wake up to the sound of both boys jabbering "aaa ba maaa ga da waa" etc. They're always in such good moods first thing in the morning!

The boys have also been practicing sitting up on their own. Yesterday Caleb hoisted himself up into an upright sitting position all by himself twice- while reclined in the swing and then again while in the papasan chair!

Who's your Mommy?

Today the boys went on an outing with Mommy and Megan. The boys get sooo much attention whenever they go out. Their admirers always tell Katie how cute they are, followed by "whose are they?" or "are they yours?". They probably think Megan is the mommy and Katie is the nanny... See, this is why Hamloni was hoping their eyes would turn brown!

Road trip

This weekend the boys hit the road to attend their Great Aunt Mary's funeral in PA. While there, they got to meet their baby cousin Chris who was born exactly 2 months after them! On our way home, we drove through Pennsylvania Dutch country and the boys saw Amish people for the first time. We also introduced the boys to the Weidman tradition of driving out of our way to eat at the Round the Clock Diner in York (twice)!

Joshua's fuzz

The boys are 20 weeks old today. Joshua's hair started growing back this past week, and he now has a soft coat of light brown fuzz. Meanwhile, Caleb's locks are still thinning out, except for a persistent patch on the back of his head that makes him look like a monk. When the boys wake us up in the middle of the night (as they've been apt to do lately) and we're not sure who's who, we simply rub their heads to find out!

Supernappers

Today I took the boys to Springfield Mall. "Your mommy took you to the ghetto mall?" Halmoni asked. Yes, she did, and the boys successfully avoided exposure to any sort of gang-related activities by sleeping the entire time! I was so pleased- it was probably their longest nap ever!

Caleb's culinary courage

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, we gave the boys their first solid food: pureed corned beef and cabbage! Just kidding, we actually gave them some organic rice cereal mixed with milk. Caleb was more open-minded than Joshua about eating from a spoon. We first he had to pry his mouth open and he gave us a look as if to say "ew, what's this?". Then he thoughtfully smacked his lips as he contemplated the new taste and texture. By the end of the meal he was opening his mouth wide when the spoon touched his lips! This wasn't the first time the boys had tasted something other than mommy's milk, though. A few days ago we touched a piece of orange to their lips and watched them pucker!

Four month checkup

We took the boys in for their 4-month doctor's check-up this morning. Caleb now weighs 15 lb. 12 oz. (75th %tile), is 26.5 in. long (94th %tile), and has a head circumference of 16.75 in. (74th %tile). Joshua is not far behind, weighing in at 15 lb. 5 oz. (65th %tile), measuring 25.75 in. in length (85th %tile), and like his brother has a head circumference of 16.75 in. Not bad stats considering they both started out so small! Caleb did not enjoy being handled by the nurses and cried the whole time he wasn't in Mommy or Daddy's arms. Joshua, being the more outgoing twin, didn't seem to mind having strangers poking around at him. All in all, God has truly blessed both boys with excellent health, having survived their first winter without even a single cold!

Mall blues

Today the boys went on their first trip to the mall! Joshua cried the whole time we were there and stopped as soon as we got in the car to go home... he really takes after his daddy!

Old Town Stroll

Today the boys graduated to their big boy seats in their stroller! We took advantage of the summery weather and took them for their first long walk. They enjoyed lots of attention as we walked from the marina into Old Town and back!

Dust on the bottles

Happy 4-month birthday, boys! The boys' personalities have grown a lot this month. While we trust that both babies will grow up to be very well-rounded individuals, we suspect Caleb may be the slightly brainier twin and Joshua the brawnier one. For instance, when we put the boys in the Jumperoo, Joshua delights in jumping (even though he's smaller than his big bro), while Caleb would rather examine the toy bar. Joshua also seems to be more social and talkative, while Caleb is a little more reserved. For exmaple, Caleb will give you a huge grin, then bashfully turn his head away- it's so sweet! Joshua is quite the talker and will even try to narrate aloud to you while you read him a book!

One thing Caleb and Joshua do have in common is their refusal to drink from bottles, which poses a problem if Katie wants to leave them for more than 2-3 hours at a time. We also have two huge unopened cases of formula (we like to refer to it as "liquid gold") which the boys utterly despise (we hope to find a home for it on eBay!). So their meals continue to consist solely of breastmilk, exclusively from "the source". Needless to say, Katie is looking forward to when they can start eating solids!h Some other things the boys share in common is their love to chew and suck their fists, and most recently, drooling, which makes Halmoni suspect they might be teething. Both boys will also chuckle and laugh when you tickle their tummies! Also, neither boy has yet attained the 10 hours of sleep per night supposedly characteristic of typical 4-month-olds. Caleb and Joshua are very social babies, so they must be afraid they'll miss out on something if they sleep too long!

Fuzzi Bunz

In an effort to reduce both our diaper budget and the boys' exposure to yucky chemicals, we've decided to give cloth diapers a try (we still use Pampers overnight and during outings). Camden's mommy recommended Fuzzi Bunz to us. We've been having some trouble with leaking, but hopefully this problem will go away when the boys' Wolf legs start living up to their name!

Goodnight Moon

This week we discovered that the boys love to read! Their favorite book is Goodnight Moon. They'll sit quietly and look at the illustrations as you read to them. It even calms them down when they're fussy! They're so good at paying attention!

Set for life

The boys are 100 days old today! Halmoni says a baby's 100th day is a milestone in Korea since infant mortality rates were traditionally very high. If a baby lived to see his 100th day, that meant he was set for life. Thank God it looks like our boys are good to go!

ROFL

Today (at 14 weeks old) Caleb rolled over for the first time! He was playing on his back in his Baby Einstein gym when I left the room for a minute, only to return to find him on his tummy!

Laughing Joshua

Quickly following his big brother's footsteps, today Joshua laughed for the first time, belting out several deep chuckles while his mommy changed him after he projectile-vomited 3 times in a row... what a good sport!

Giggling Caleb

Today Caleb laughed for the first time! It's not surprising it happened while his daddy was changing his diaper... the boys love getting clean!

Hey brother

Today while the boys were lying on the floor next to each other, Caleb looked Joshua in the eye and smiled at him several times. It was so sweet! Joshua didn't have the courtesy to smile back... we're still working on teaching him some manners!

Three month birthday

Happy 3-month birthday, boys! The boys have grown so much in 3 months. They can now hold up their heads really well and can play in their Jumperoo. Speaking of their heads, they are starting to go bald! Joshua seems especially intent to mimick his daddy's hairstyle. We're curious to see what colors their hair will be when it grows back! Both boys still have blue eyes, and judging by the brightness of the blue, we doubt they'll turn brown, somewhat to Halmoni's dismay ;)

The boys have been sleeping 7-8 hours through the night several times a week. They are not too fond of daytime naps, however, and sometimes a walk in the stroller is the only way to get peace and quiet. We even got an umbrella stroller for wheeling them around inside the house!

Their personalities are changing constantly. We suspect they secretly conspire to take turns being fussy or sweet, just to keep us on our toes! Their communication is developing, too. Joshua will follow you around the room with pleading eyes and stick out his lower lip when he wants to be picked up. Caleb will smack his lips and poke out his tongue when he is hungry. Both boys are "talking" a lot, especially Caleb. Several times we could have sworn he said "OK" when it actually made sense!

Rockers and rollers

Today (at 13 weeks old) Joshua rolled over for the first time while Halmoni was changing him! He rolled from his back to his tummy. We also discovered today that both boys love it when their daddy plays guitar and sings to them! They kick and wave their arms like they're dancing!

New home

The boys looked each other in the eye for the first time today... at least it was the first time that we've noticed! Another big piece of news is that we signed the lease for our new house today! It's a cozy little house with a nice big yard for the boys to play in, and it's just around the corner from the boys' grandparents! We are very thankful that we found a place to rent so close by!

Graduation day

Tonight (at almost 12 weeks old) the boys graduated to their own cribs! They've grown as long as the width of a crib, and considering how they'd bop each other and wake each other up, we figured it was time for them to each have their own sleeping quarters. In other news, after soiling an estimated 1000+ size 1-2 diapers, the boys moved up to size 3 Pampers today. We also officially moved out of our apartment and have completely taken over Grandpa and Halmoni's house.

Baby babble

The boys are talking and smiling all the time, now! The best time to strike up a conversation with them is while you're changing them- that's when they tend to be the most talkative. So you'll just have to come over and change a couple diapers to see for yourself ;)

Sweet, sweet sleep

The boys both slept for 8 hours straight last night! (At 9.5 weeks old, it's about time!) Translation: I got to sleep for 8 hours straight last night! Well ok, I briefly woke up once early in the morning, baffled by the silence, just to check and make sure the boys were still there... Anyway, I can't even begin to explain how happy I am! Previously they only slept 3 to 5 hours at a time, and rarely simultaneously. As an added bonus, they were both in their crib the whole time (they have been known to be averse to sleeping in their crib). And they fell asleep at 1:30 am- a full hour earlier than usual! And we didn't even have to feed them formula to get them to sleep, which is what the nurse had suggested. What a huge answer to prayer. Let's hope the boys keep this up!

Growing boys

Caleb and Joshua are 2 months old today! At their doctor's checkup, we learn that Joshua now weighs 12 lbs. and Caleb weighs 12 lbs. 4 oz. They are now in the 50th and 55th percentile for weight, respectively, and both are in the 50th percentile for length! It's hard to believe they've already nearly doubled their birth weight, although when I consider how much of my day is occupied by feeding the two of them, it makes sense!

Courtney & Tim's Wedding

We take the boys on their second road trip, this time to Charlottesville to celebrate Courtney and Tim's wedding! They stayed with their first non-grandparent babysitter on Friday night during the rehearsal dinner. A huge thank you to Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dave for babysitting during the wedding on Saturday!

New Year's Yut

We spend New Year's Day at the boys' Great Aunt Sooja's house. The boys snooze while we chow on a Korean food feast and play Yut, a Korean game traditionally played on New Year's day.