Babies to Little Boys

Our sweet babies are turning into little boys. This month has been busy with first steps, first hair cuts and first Oreos. Today we took the boys to get their first hair cut. I was prepared for the worst and was more than pleasantly surprised by my angelic babies. They were both so good even when the hairdresser brought out the clippers. It was sad to see Aron's baby curls being cut but I knew I couldn't let the mullet go on. After their hair cut they looked like sharp little men.

Aden is on the brink of walking and has already taken a few first steps. He is getting more courageous in standing on his own. He practices walking with his walkers and can get up to almost a jog behind it. Since the new year we have made the move from formula to whole milk. The boys are eating three solid meals a day. Both boys will point at the pantry and say 'mum-mum' which means they want a snack. During the day they really work up an appetite being so busy. They fill their time by opening and shutting doors, pulling things out of drawers, making their musical toys play over and over and flipping through books. Aron was the first to let the rhythm move him and started dancing. His singing toys have almost a hypnotic affect in that when one starts playing he has to stop what he is doing and dance.

Happy Birthday

Where has the time gone? It just seems like yesterday I had these two little ones fighting for space in my tummy. The year has definitely been memorable with the last week being no less exciting as we built up to the big 1. Christmas was a blast. The boys were spoiled and we now need a bigger house to put all their toys. It took a few gifts before the boys got into the rhythm but soon they were tearing paper and ripping bows with such enthusiasm. We spent the morning at Mimi and Papa's where daddy put on his matching onesie pajamas for gift opening. Later that day we sampled our first pierogie. Aron dove into it more but I think only because he has teeth. Speaking of teeth Aden so perfectly cut one of his two front teeth on Christmas day. He now has one on the bottom and directly above one on the top. After Christmas we went to visit our cousins in Austin. Baca and Grumpy were there and they threw an early birthday party with chocolate cup cakes. Aden immediately dove into his by putting his chin on the table and trying to shove it in. Aron took a different approach and just went face first, no hands. We all just about wet our pants we were laughing so hard. After Christmas Oma came into town for more partying. She made the boy's carrot birthday cake. Their friends Charlie (aka C-Unit) and Valerie were there to celebrate. It was a wonderful party and the house was overflowing with love.

All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth

I am proud to announce that Aden has finally cut his first tooth. It has been a long wait but having no teeth has not slowed him down in chewing everything from steak to Christmas lights. Aron is working on tooth #6 and will gladly show you his pearly whites.
As Christmas approaches we are getting ready by decorating and baking. This past weekend we finally made it to the tree farm. As soon as we got out of the car Aron just about jumped out of my arms in excitement. As we strolled through the trees both Aron and Aden had to touch every one for quality control to determine which one we were going to pick. Aron made the final call on this year's. He threw his hands up in excitement when he found the one. Once we got it home Aden helped me check the lights for shorts. While Aron admired from his toy box, contemplating why there was a tree in the house. Once it was decorated and before daddy put up his custom plywood barrier, Aden made a beeline for the low hanging jingle bell. He has had so much fun shaking and rolling around with it that he wants to take it everywhere, but mommy had to draw the line in taking it to bed.

I am thankful for...

November was an exciting month. The boys are becoming more independent and curious as their crawling skills improve. Their favorite things to do are pushing all the buttons on the entertainment center, trying to open cabinets, climbing into the dishwasher and sneaking into the bathroom when they think we are not looking. The boys are definitely partners in crime. We often see them side by side crawling to their next adventure. Aron is exhibiting his hording gene that he must get from his dad. He likes to hide things he finds on the floor, that he knows somehow he is not supposed to have, in his diaper. So far we have found a pecan, almond and penny when changing him. Aden, also like his father, has the personal drive to let no food morsel go uneaten. After Thanksgiving Aden was caught licking the grease from the bottom of the oven door. Speaking of Thanksgiving, this year was a success. The boys had a taste of their first turkey but what they really loved was the crescent rolls and sweet potatoes. After dinner Grand Dad set up his electric train from when he was a kid. It really brought back memories and the boys loved helping put it together and being conductors.

Okay, so I have been little busy and haven't been keeping up with the blog. I apologize to all the fans out there. Hopefully I can bring you up to speed...
The last two months have been a blur. Aron is popping out teeth, he has the two bottom and two uppers. He has been utilizing his new choppers and is demanding louder that he be a part of every meal. So far he has had a variety of bread, pork tenderloin, chicken, mashed pototoes, and is trying new things daily. Aron is also the first to start crawling. It is so cute to hear the slap-slap-slap down the hallway to remind us to shut the doors. He's quite quick on all fours and has taken a keen interest in exploring the house. He has a natural radar for anything he probably shouldn't be messing with, and takes advantage of any opportunity when Mommy or Daddy forget to shut a door. Aden is crawling as well but more content to just hang out than his brother. With the new found freedom came the anxiety of separation. There was a touchy week there where Aron would be inconsolable when separated from any of the family. Now that he has become more familiar with the house he is more inde pendent but we have to be stealthy when we go from room to room so he doesn't want to follow us and inevitably ask to be carried. We're also beginning to pull ourselves up and get alot of enjoyment out of standing upright with Mommy and Daddy's help.

All I Want for Christmas....

September 12 Aron cut his first tooth. It was a battle royal which involved multiple applications of Tylenol and Ora-Gel but it finally made an appearance.

Making Sense

This month the boys went on their first road trip to Austin to visit their cousins Christopher and Quinn. We timed it perfectly where they slept for 3 hours in the car but were ready to get out of their seats the last 30 minutes. In Austin they had fun swimming and playing. Aden is fearless in that he enjoys splashing water in his face. Aron stayed out of the turbulence and just lounged in his lily pad float. On the way home we stopped off at one of daddy's favorite sausage stores and enjoyed the new sights and smells. It has been very interesting to watch the boys developing their senses and facial expressions. They are reaching for toys and selecting them by sounds or texture. Also they are more aware of their surroundings and can see you making eye contact with them from across the room. Aden did something so cute tonight. I had him in his crib trying to sleep while I was rocking Aron. He scooted himself to the front of his crib and pulled down on the crib liner so he could see me. He then proceed to tell me that he was not tired and wanted to come out. I was very impressed that he knew where to look for me by just hearing my voice. Aron is so close to crawling. Both boys have the tummy scoot down but can't quite get the coordination of moving arms and legs, although Aron has figured out one leg and two arms, it is only a matter of time before he gets that second leg moving. Right now he is just finding himself in the splits a lot. In addition to their improved mobility their dexterity has really developed. They are now reaching for toys out of a bin and able to hold balls. Aden thinks it is a fun game for me to bounce balls off his chest and he tries to catch them. We are cherishing this time when they are still semi-stationary, before we know it we will be chasing after them.