Couldn't help myself...

Traveling Home

Our trip back was as easy as our trip out - though our longer layover in D.C. did make the trip feel very long. I think the more even distribution of flight times on the way East was better - the short flight followed by the longer flight on the way back just made the day seem to last forever (plus gaining 3 hours of course.)

The security crew at Bradley were just amazing. What a difference from Los Angeles - first off there was no line anywhere. We were checking our bags and I was wondering if anyone else would even be on our flight. The security crew not only helped us get all of our baggage through the scanner, they then put our stroller together for us, while marveling at the way the car seats sit in it. Do you know how hard it is to unfold a stroller and put the car seats in it while each holding a baby? This was extremely appreciated. 

Bradley airport tradition - getting some McDonald's before the flight. The girls each had their first french fries (only 2 each!) and seemed to like them! Of course, who wouldn't!

So many babies in my row! I was seated in the row with 3 oxygen masks, and James was on the other side with just the 1, so he was not even allowed to hold a baby! On the way back West, we were a bit smarter and brought one of our car seats onboard - this was great for many reasons. Josie was very cozy in it and slept almost the whole way both ways. Also it freed up one parent's arms for making bottles or going to the bathroom. If we had a money tree I would get 4 seats next time with this car seat set up! Babies get SUPER wiggly on your lap and it can be exhausting!

Josie chilling

Alex asleep on my lap - they seem to pass out during take off.

Dad in his single seat across the aisle!

Dad wrangles the car seats and stroller on the tarmac

Stretching our legs in DC - saying hi to everyone!

Some more stretching. 

I was starting to feel my cold getting worse again on Christmas Eve and it is now (again) in full effect. I have now been sick for 3 weeks and am so over it. Flying while congested is not fun. The girls definitely have a cough now, too. I pat Alex on the back a little when she coughs so now she is doing a little fake cough and looking to see if I might give her a little back rub. 

Sunday evening we went to the L.A. Zoo Lights - basically a "re-boot" of the Griffith Park lights - which were always extremely cheesy and under produced. If you go in knowing the "kitsch" background to the story, this is a very fun event. We got some hot cider and walked around at a nice pace. I think the girls liked it. It was SUPER cold so it felt very holiday appropriate!

And - in fun news - Alexandra is now pulling herself up and steadying herself, and standing for a good few minutes at a time! She knows what she is doing, too, as she looks around to make sure we are watching. She even does little bounces as if "dancing" while standing. Its fantastic! Though I realized today once they start walking I wont have little crawling babies anymore - awww! And, Josie is finally getting tooth #3! Her top left tooth is poking out, and she has the little red cheeks to go along with it.

51 weeks

I think I said this in an earlier post but it's either just being with them 24/7 for the last week or they really have jumped into the next developmental leap because we are really noticing some advancement with the girls.

Someone asked how old the girls were and while we were responding, both put their little pointer fingers up for "1." Josie was standing up and playing with a toy at the airport. Alex was also holding herself up without support on Christmas Eve. They are both responding to, and doing most of the moves to, itsy bitsy spider, twinkle twinkle, and happy and you know it. And both are copying us when we speak or do an action like stick out our tongues.

Josie is saying short words (I.e. dog) and pointing at what she is saying. They are both waving and saying hi. And are very proud of themselves for doing so. Alex waved and said hi to everyone around us on the plane.  

When we first had kids I pictured 1 year olds as being practically self sufficient- walking and talking and eating on their own. Ok I know now that's not quite reality but in this past week or two in seeing some huge jumps towards that. 

This week of travel has been pretty successful. Only a few times were the girls not really going along with the plan. Once resulted in some crabbiness at a restaurant but seriously that's all we had to deal with so we were pretty lucky. They were also a bit crazier at bedtime with being more active and more stimulated than usual.

I was pretty impressed with us though - doing the day to day with the girls is exhausting on its own yet here we were doing it AND being on the go with plans every day and visiting new places and having to figure out where and how to make bottles or feed solids or change diapers. But we did it!!! Without any real melt downs or disasters!

Time to plan our next trip! This time in thinking somewhere tropical :) and next time we won't have to deal with formula as we will be weaning to real milk over the next month or so :)

And speaking of awesome little girls - we feared that with the naps on the plane and the time change that they would be up and ready for the day at 4 a.m. - nope! Slept in until 6:45 and are just talking to each other in their cribs now at 7:15. Thank you ladies!! How thoughtful to let mom and dad sleep!

The Public Library

We are no strangers to the public library. The girls have been enjoying story time at the Burbank public library for several months now.

When a friend from Boston planned to come meet up with us here in Avon, I asked some local moms where a good meet up spot would be. I had in mind an indoor gym kind of place but the Avon Free Public Library was listed and when I looked it up I decided it would be perfect. It was even better than I expected! 

The space is huge - seems even bigger than 2000 square feet. Every foot of it is baby proof. There are no outlets or sharp corners. There is an amazing bathroom with a lot of space, changing table and toddler height sink. There are a ton of seats for parents and no restrictions on food so bottle feeding is not a problem. Gosh I wonder why we didn't do all of our meet ups there?! 

Daddy built this castle out of blocks 

Baby approved 

A monster baby came to destroy the castle! 

Every inch of the place is chock full of toddler and baby safe toys and books. There are tables of blocks and even a little nook turned into a kitchen with play food. 

James and Alex found the crafts room where they had baby crayons (shaped like eggs) and Alex made mommy a card ♥️❤️❤️❤️♥️

My friend Lisa and her husband Bobby and son Evan (11 days younger than the girls) had come from Quincy MA and enjoyed the library/playroom with us. Josie and Evan really seemed to hit it off and were so good at playing together! 

Afterwards we went to Friendly's - the one James used to work at, and destroyed their back room with 3 infant/toddlers eating puffs and Cheerios and cheese shreds and toast. 

It's hard to get everyone in one shot so here are two photos! 

And of course I'm taking the picture. I wish I had gotten a shot of the floor! 

Here is a good one of the library.