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.

Wash Those Peas Right Outta My Hair

Here you are, the latest in baby hair fashion. After 10 months of good growth, the time had come for Lucie and Ryan's first trim. With Chris behind the clippers, Ryan's hair ended up a little shorter than intended, but nothing a ski cap in July can't fix. Lucie's quick trim left her smiling.

Lucie is modeling everyone's favorite, banana hair gel. The bananas were supposed to be her finger food, but unfortunately got confused as a hair product (peas, avocado and toast have endured a similar fate). I'm tempted to try it too - it does add quite a shine to her locks!

Now We're Really in Trouble

Lucie has learned to stand. Or at least she's trying to by desperately pulling herself up at whatever object is most convenient: crib walls, boxes, coffee tables, pant legs, you name it.

The second photo shows how we were greeted this morning -- with Lucie personally saying hello to brother. Fortunately, on our friend Kathleen's advice, I had lowered the crib mattresses a few weeks ago or else Lucie probably would have ended up in Ryan's crib. Needless to say, this weekend I'll be lowering the mattress yet again.

Ryan & Lucie Flying Tips

Ryan and Lucie are quite the frequent fliers - nine trips in nine months. After many mistakes and a few stressful moments, we feel like we've got this flying-with-twins thing down (or at least until they start to walk).

We used to board with every piece of gear possible - car seats, stroller, Baby Bjorns, diaper bags, boppy, etc. By the time we had finally folded down the stroller on the jet way, the last group of passengers had managed to board in front of us. So much for pre-boarding! Now, we have a working routine - check all the gear and walk on the plane with babies in Bjorns and a small diaper bag of essentials. Cruising to the gate with only a baby in a front pack is quite liberating and definitely cuts down on the annoyed looks from passengers behind us in the security check line. Though I wonder, how could you give dirty looks to these sweet travelers?

Like Mother, Like Daughter (and Son)

After the wedding in Vegas, we flew to one of my favorite spots on earth, Lake Tahoe. Lucky for me, Lucie and Ryan share the same sentiment. They enjoyed the fresh mountain air, lakeside parks, and, of course, the magic toddler pool.

My mom and I have been looking forward to taking the babies to this toddler pool since before they were born. And for good reason! Lucie and Ryan loved to splash with their cousin Gabriella, watch the older kids, and play with any toy that happened to float their way (thus, the "magic" pool). We all look forward to next summer when their new cousin (to arrive in October) will join in the fun.