This Old House

At a party a few weeks ago I was regaling our friend (and famous blogger) Liz with tales of all the woodworking projects I've taken on since moving into our new house. Always a good sport, Liz suggested that I start a new woodworking blog to share photos of all my projects. Not a bad idea. However, I'd hate to create a new blog - one that would, no doubt, become exceedingly popular - and steal focus from The 2 Point Conversion.

Instead I decide to post few pictures of my handiwork here. These are photos of a liquor cabinet/bar in our dining room and an oak shadowbox for the rifle I found in our basement a few months ago. I've included photos of Brett & Mags for scale... and because this is still their blog, after all.

In summary, I've completed two woodworking projects since becoming a father; a liquor cabinet and a display case for a firearm. Please double-check the spelling of "Berthiaume" before having the 2010 Father of the Year plaque engraved. Thanks.

Loud Brett

Abs of Steel

No, I'm certainly not talking about myself. After my twin pregnancy, I have to wear a splint to hold my separated abdominal muscles together so my organs don't protrude and I don't get a hernia. Gross.

I'm talking about Maggie! She's no longer content just chilling on the boppy pillow where the babies hang out on the couch before and after each feeding while I get the nursing pillow on and off. She tries to sit up like a big girl, and she's getting very good at doing crunches.

Here's a better view of her adorable outfit. Thanks for the new clothes, Grandma!

Hanging Out Around the House

Oh, little Maggie. She's just such a sweetie.





Here's Brett just waking up from his nap. His head has been itching him lately, and given access, he will scratch it until it bleeds. He wears hats all the time, and still tries to scratch his head.




I've been wanting to do this for a long time. When Auntie Devon bought Brett some preemie clothes when he was two weeks old (they only fit for a week), I looked at them and instantly thought of Lola. They looked just her size. Finally yesterday, when sorting outgrown clothes, I made Lola be a onesie model. Perfect fit.

Cute, Clean Babies in Jammies

Last night Grandma and Grandpa helped Brett and Maggie take baths. Grandpa got them undressed, and Grandma gave them the full spa treatment afterwards and got their jammies on. Here they are nice and clean right before bed.

It Gets Easier, I Promise

Familiar words of encouragement for a new mom, and it applies to mothers of twins as well. Here are a few assurances I wish someone could have made to me back at the beginning of October, when the babies were just a few weeks old and I didn't think I could ever manage to care for them by myself.

You will sleep again. All night, with no disruptions. The days are a lot easier to manage when you are no longer tired.
You will feel comfortable taking the babies out -- driving with them in the car, loading and unloading them into the stroller, going for a walk in the neighborhood.
You will be able to push their stroller down the huge hill by your house and go to Whole Foods or the taco place.
You will be able to push the babies in their stroller all the way back up the hill, with the bottom basket full of groceries, all by yourself.
Your old jeans will fit again. You will hem them all to fit with tennis shoes and flats, because you no longer have a need for "going out" jeans to wear with high heels. But they will fit.
You will be able to get down on the floor with the babies. And back up again without assistance. You will be able to do almost everything you used to be able to do, way back when before you were pregnant.
You will be the one to wake the babies, not vice versa, some mornings when they sleep in too late. You will actually complain that your babies are sleeping in too late and need to wake up earlier. And you will learn the joy of happy babies in the morning.
You will cook again. Last week I made a rack of lamb, fish en papillote, and whipped cream with a whisk (no electric mixer -- by hand!!).
You will be able to take care of the babies by yourself during the day. And still have time to get dressed and eat meals.
Your wedding and engagement rings will fit again.
You will wear makeup again.
You will have time to do a crossword puzzle every day. You will need to get back in the habit because your brain has already started to atrophy.
You will have time to spend with Lola.
You will have time to read books again. I read the bulk of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" this past week in just a few days.
You will be able to go to the grocery store by yourself with two babies and get a full cart of groceries (one baby in the car seat in the cart, one in the Bjorn baby carrier, and "Yes, please," when they ask if you need help out to the car).
You will actually find yourself bored at times during the day, when babies are napping, you are dressed, and your house is clean.
You will sleep again.

Busy Maggie

Maggie likes to operate the Space Command Station. Ordinary people call this contraption an "exersaucer."

Naptime with Lola

This picture actually needs some explaining, or someone will call Child Protective Services on the mother who leaves her baby sleeping in an adult bed with loose blankets everywhere right next to a fierce animal. Brett woke up way too early from his morning nap, and so as a last resort to get him to sleep, I laid down with him in our bed. That's where Lola spends much of her day, and she was there, too. Surprisingly, she allowed Brett to sleep next to her and never even growled.

Happy Valentine's Day

Bedtime

Fashion & Fun

Maggie loves many things in life but two of her favorites are cute clothes and kicking her legs. Here are a few photos of her marvelous Mod Dress and her new favorite accessories... BUG SOCKS!


Meanwhile, Bretty Boy likes to play with toys. Here he is contemplating a commando crawl through The Jungle of Toys.


Finally, I wanted to include a photo I took off our back deck the other night. What does this have to do with babies, you ask? Well, I assume that eventually our kids are going to gaze out the back window, stare at Sutro Tower and ask "Daddy, what is that thing?" I've got it narrowed down to two potential answers: 1) "Well Maggie, it's a rocket ship that takes good little girls to the moon." or 2) "Well Brett, it's a robot that comes down from the hills to eat little boys that don't finish all their vegetables."

World-Famous Babies

The company that made Brett and Maggie's birth announcement asked if they could display it on their website. The babies are famous!