My Brother, the Stand-Up Comic

Ryan and his crazy antics are a source of much humor for Lucie. Shared laughter first started with the famous sneeze incident (loyal followers may remember that one), and has become more frequent ever since. Now I understand why parents of twins tout the benefits of built-in entertainment.

I love this latest trend, except during one of their favorite comedy hours -- nap time. As soon as I put them down, Ryan instantly pulls down the bumper closest to Lucie's crib and waits for her to pop up and goof off with him. They usually fall asleep mid-routine, though not without some resistance (once I found Lucie had fallen asleep sitting up, head leaning against the crib side closest to Ryan).

I think I missed the punchline here, but it looks like Lucie got it. Must be baby humor.

Catching Up Quickly

We try not to compare Lucie and Ryan's progress. Best to simply treat them as a sister and brother who just happen to be born at the same time. That means never refering to them as "the twins". We hope that approach will help them each grow according to their own schedule without any undue pressures or expectations.

But with new milestone accomplishments happening almost every day, it can be hard. Perhaps inspired by his sister's newfound abilities, Ryan now spends considerable time working on his crawling and standing skills. While he's not quite there yet, he is catching up quickly.

Baby's First Vomit

Surprisingly, there is no entry in your typical baby book for documenting the first time a baby gets sick. Luckily for Lucie, that moment can be captured for posterity on the blog ... though you can see she recovered quick enough.

Lucie's stomach definitely didn't agree with something. Could have been the tofu, squash, and peas she had for lunch or my aggressive driving, but she threw up all over herself in the car yesterday. I now know two things: the quickest way to get me to pull over is for Megan to scream "Chris, she's throwing up!" and that car seats are a pain to clean. It took the rest of the afternoon to disassemble the carseat, throw the fabric pieces in the wash, and hose down the frame. Assuming Rachel and Jason haven't yet decided to pass on the hand-me-down carseat, I'm guessing this post will do the trick.

Ryan's Uncles

While Lucie is lucky to have Aunt Rachel, Ryan is luckier to have three uncles to help show him the ropes. Our recent trip to Lake Tahoe provided opportunites to learn something different from each one:

• Greg teaches him how to appreciate the outdoors (and Giant Salamanders).
• Jason demonstrates how to smile during all of life's activities.
• And Andrew shows him how to perfect the art of rest and relaxation.

Baby, You Can Drive My Car

As much as we loved our Snap N' Go double stroller, we had to part ways when four little feet started hanging out the ends of the infant carseats. The time had come for some new wheels (and new carseats too).

I was reluctant to trade in the tandem for a side-by-side model as they seemed cumbersome and bulky. Once I took one for a spin, however, I was hooked. It's light, easy to steer, and we have yet to meet a door we don't fit through. Lucie and Ryan like being next to each other to share snacks, toys, and opinions on the walk route or length. We were lucky to receive a hand-me-down (the Combi Twin Savvy) from Chris' parents that is in good condition. That model is also a favorite among the Mothers of Twins Club parents.

Here the babies show off their new ride to our Friday afternoon walking group - Misha (on the left and one day younger than R & L), Ella (in the middle and 3 weeks older) and the dynamic duo.