My Sweet Babies

These little ones are growing so fast. I haven't seen them in almost 4 weeks, and from these photos, I can see they have grown and changed. Little Ruby is so much her Mommy. I see baby Kristin looking back at me! And Little Man is full of energy and curiosity. I will be going down next week and celebrating Mother's Day with Kristin on her very first Mother's Day. (I just learned how to take the photos that Kristin sends to me from her cell phone to mine, and put them on the blog!)

Pen Pals & Twins

One of my dearest friends, Laura, has a niece named Andrea. When Kristin and Andrea were young girls, they decided to become pen pals. Andrea lives in upstate New York and we lived in California at the time. They have remained in contact with each other over the years. Andrea's mother is an identical twin, and when Andrea became pregnant with her first child, she soon learned it was children. She gave birth to fraternal twin girls, Angelina and Aubrey. Maybe someday the two sets of twins and mommies can finally meet! Or maybe they will continue the pen pal tradition.

Happy Easter Fun (and more)

The twins' first Easter was spent at Grandma Carrie's and Grandpa Ray's house. A typical pacific northwest Easter -- cold and wet. Next year they will experience a hunt! Here they are enjoying an alfresco lunch (not on Easter Sunday)

Finding Nemo

One of the twins' favorite toys are these little clown fish that Grandpa Bill got for them. Since Carson doesn't have a pocket and it takes 2 hands to crawl really fast -- he does the next best thing with Nemo.

TEN MONTHS OLD (almost)

These sweeties will be 10 months old April 6. In these pictures I think Carson looks like a little boy, and not a baby! I had a hard time getting him to leave Ruby's hair alone. He really really wanted to take that accessory out of her hair. Doesn't he know she is making a "fashion statement ?"

Racing Carson

Here is little man racing around Grandma Carrie's kitchen. He is so fast and will run down anything that gets in his way (sister, dogs, grandparents)

RUBY

Here is my sweet Ruby in all her cute-ness. Bill and I can see so much of baby Kristin in this little reproduction. I recently found some photos of Kristin that my mother had and gave them to Kristin for her birthday. She was delighted and loved seeing how much Ruby looks like her. But Kristin said "Ruby is cuter!" (I wasn't quite sure how to respond.......)

She may be all dressed up in girly-pink, but she loves her brother's truck. She sits on it and bounces up and down and even tried to give it some girl-power (not horse power).

Finally, Ruby is starting to crawl. She was getting frustrated at not being able to get places like her bro. We were beginning to think she would go straight to walking and by-pass crawling.

Ruby loves her Grandpa Ray, and vice versa!

WOW - 9 months old!

Hard to imagine they are 9 months old. Carson is crawling like a big boy -- not the military ground pull along. And he is FAST! He pulls himself up on everything, and cruises furniture. Won't be long now for him to take off and walk. Ruby is still thinking about crawling, and I can see it in her face that she might like to reach that toy that is over there, or she might like to get over to where her brother is having so much fun. I guess it takes thinking about it before she can actually try to do it.

Ruby loves books, and not just to eat them like her bro. She will look at pictures and give attention to the story.

8 Months Old

I had not been down to take care of the twins for almost 3 weeks due to the unforeseen trip to Calif. that I made. Gosh, they just keep on growing. What really surprised me was how much hair they both have and how much Ruby looks like Kristin with more hair (Kristin had tons of hair). And I was surprised by how fast Carson scoots around the house and how he can pull himself up on just about anything -- especially me. I felt like I was his own personal jungle-gym! Ruby no longer just sits in her saucer toy -- she jumps and bounces like a wild-child and has so much fun. Both of them scoot all over the house in the walker. Carson is very fast. I caught him in the laundry room trying to shut the front-loading washing machine. They both continue to get more teeth (or trying to get more). He got his 3rd. tooth while I was there and she is working on it real hard (and real fussy!). Both are loving the homemade baby food that Kristin and I make for them and they are great eaters. However, we learned that Carson HATES egg yokes and Ruby can't get enough of them. I didn't realize babies can have such a strong dislike of something at this young age!

Guess Who Got A Wii?

Kristin and Casey got a Wii. Here is Kristin bowling with Carson's help. He was loving being on her back. (Now that's some fancy footwork! She must watch the bowling channel.) I will have to admit -- I tried it and it was fun! But I don't think I would do it with 20 lbs. of baby on my back.

Swim Team

When Kristin was 9 mos. old we enrolled her in a "water-babies" swimming experience at the local pool. That must have worked, because she grew up with a total love of the water. I used to say she was part mermaid! She wanted to give her babies that same exposure at an early age, so several weeks ago at 7 mos. of age, she and Casey took them to their first class. They have LOVED it! Here are some photos taken over several weeks with Kristin and Casey and Kristin and Grandma Carrie in the water with the twins. One week I even got in the water and held Rubes, but none of the photos turned out because the setting had accidentally gotten changed. It was such a kick to be there with the twins and recall when I did it so many years ago with KJ. (I love that Kristin calls it "swim team"). She must have very high hopes for their swimming careers! The instructor told her that Carson is very advanced for his age -- he is doing the flutter kick and not the polly-wog kick that most babies do.

Of course Ruby needed to make a fashion statement!

Aren't They Cute?

Carson and Ruby are getting bigger every time I see them. She is almost 20 lbs, and he is right behind her. Here they are all ready for a play-date with a friend. Aren't they cute? Ruby is such a "Gerber Baby"! "Grandpa Bill, can I wear your new Puerto Vallarta cap?"