Long time no post..

Things are rolling right along. The twins are talking more. Since our last post we visited some family in NY. We saw Uncle Stanley and Aunt Louise, cousins Craig, Rachael, Joshua, Susan and Donna and of course GG. Uncle Stanley was recuperating from an illness so we visited him with the twins. We think the twins cheered him up. He did say that he wished we lived closer, sometimes we wish we did too. Zev loved the attention from the family, he was the pure golden boy, sweet, funny, cuddly, blond cherub baby. Orli was getting over a fever she had earlier in the week so we was not so receptive to all the attention and would rather cling to daddy.
The twins definately have face recognition now, GG had a collage made for her by cousin Noah of mommy and daddy's wedding. In each frame there is a picture of somebody they know, so we asked them "where is Uncle Todd?" sure enough they pointed to Todd. "Where's Papa, Grammy, Louise, Stanley, GG??" They know.
Last week Zev grabed a phone and heard Daddy's friend Lee on the other end and said "Papa?". We know they miss Grammy and Papa, it is a good thing we are visiting them soon.
Orli can sing "La-la-la, La-la-la, thats Elmo's World" now, Zev is getting much clearer in saying his A-B-C's, and so is Orli, they can finish the ends of songs. Tonight, Orli ripped off her gray socks when she found a pair of pink stripped ones in the laundry basket and tried to put those on her little feet. They have prefrences and they do their best communicate them.
Here are a few Pics, oh and here are a few more we picked up and scanned see how adorable GG and Papa are from a long time ago.

Keys found!!

Yes, one week later we found daddy's keys. They were found on garbage day in the pail of the bathroom garbage. Good thing mommy dumped the contents into a new bag and heard the telltale "jingle-jingle".
Zev goes to an asthma specialist today, we'll see how that goes. It has been 1 month of daily treatments.
We saw GG this weekend, aunt Louise, Uncle Stanley, cousins Susan and Donna, Auntie Sherry, Larry, Dustin on our way through CT. They loved seeing everyone and saying hello. We stayed with Lee and turned his apartment into a tornado, so now all of his choking hazards are out of the way, breakables up high and he's left with a stinky garbage pail. Thanks for your hospitality and patience Lee.
Zev took his first real steps over the weekend, he is thinking of trying to walk about 20% of the time, he's so accustom to crawling he doesn't realize he can muster up a few steps. So now it is a matter of choice. He takes a few wobbly, hesitant steps to get to a surface he can pull himself up on or a wall. He's all smiles when he is walking, but crawling wins out because it is faster.
Orli has been very observant, she got a hold of mommy's keys and walked up to doors with one key extended and poked around the door knob with the key. She's watching and learning. Monkey see, monkey do.

Let the festivities begin...4 days to 1 year

First birthday cards for the twins arrived on Monday. Thanks Auntie Jen!! There was a package of peg puzzles. We opened the "1-2-3" puzzle because the parts looked large enough. Zev and Orli proceeded to put them in their mouths and try to walk off with the puzzle piece in their mouths. They seemed to taste really good because the twins would not keep them out of their little bocas. We took some pictures of this enjoyment that we'll post later.

Wow 4 days until the big first birthday. Just three days until the big party. Grammy and Pappa arrive tomorrow and our favorite GG, Aunt Louise, Uncle Stanley and Cousin Donna arrive on Friday afternoon. The twins can't wait to see everyone!!

Family Resemblance

So a few weeks ago we visited GG (aka Great-Grandma Bertha). For years we noticed the pictures of our GG but never did they have more meaning to us then this visit. Can you spot the resemblance?????

Twins are 9 months Old Today.

The twins saw lots of family this weekend.
First they visited with Grandma Val for lunch on Friday during a nasty rain storm. Orli pointed and smiled at Grandma and Grandma loved to see them smile and laugh. She got to sit them on her lap for a short while but she has a tough time because she is a little weak and they are very squirmy. Auntie Sherry was also there to hug and squeeze the babies and help with a feeding, we watched a movie during the rain storm.
From there we went to see Lee in Manhattan after a very tough drive from New Haven in the pouring rain. The twins were very well behaved at a late dinner at an Indian restaurant, the manager was also a father of twins. Lee had his share of holding a baby and being the designated sherpa while walking the neighborhood. We managed to turn his apartment into a pigpen in 3 seconds with clothes, socks, diaperbag, pack-n-play, baby food, bottles...They are so little but need so much stuff.
On Saturday the twins went and visted their GG (Greatgrandma) in the rehab center while she heals from her fall. She said "Kaynahorah" about a dozen times after she said they were so beautiful and healthy and happy. While we were in Brooklyn we got an opportunity to look at some old family photos that GG has. It is just wonderful to see how our babies resemble people we love. One picture of GG as a todler sitting on a pony reminded us of Orli.
We then went out to eat at Adelman's in Brooklyn on Kings Highway, again the babies behaved and lots of admirers stopped by to check them out, one lady, was a twin herself. The babies ate their first Matzoh Ball soup with noodles and seemed to like it. It was the biggest, most fluffiest, perfectly round matzoh ball we had ever seen, I wish we took a picture, it was about a little larger than a baseball. It the babies first Kosher restaurant and Mommy's first time eating poultry in public in more than 20 years. (Smoked Turkey sandwich three inches thick -- all Kosher)
Then we went to see Aunt Louise and Uncle Stanley, Cousin Craig with his pretty girlfriend Olga also stopped in for a visit. It seems other cousins couldn't muster up enough energy to get out of bed... you know who you are. The babies got to be held and cuddled by more people. Mommy and Daddy got to eat some good bagels for a change. See more holding two at once challenges completed by the very brave.
Finally we drove home, made good time and were able to go to a Superbowl Party which unfortunatly the twins did not get to enjoy their home team winning the game because the Pats played pretty terribly and now Orli and Zev are sad...
One really cool thing did happen during the game at least, Orli for a few seconds stood on her own unassisted not holding on to anything accept a football clapper noise maker in her little pudgy hand.

Smart AND Beautiful

We think the babies are just beautiful and we even love to hear this from total strangers. Over the weekend we took the babies to Costco. Daddy was pushing the babies ahead in the cart and Mommy was in the next aisle. An older couple had walked past the babies and were walking toward mama. They were remarking to each other just how adorable and beautiful the twins were. Totally unsolicited, and they were not aware that mommy was listening to the whole thing. Now I might have had to beat them with a gallon of milk if they said the babies were ugly.
Grandma Val heard this story and remarked "there is more in life than being beautiful, they are smart too". She doesn't want them to get too used to hearing just how beautiful they are. She'd like to remind them there are other qualities for them to develop and nurture which are beyond their outer adorable sweet little mugs. Grandma Val is right, we have to strike a good balance and be sure to give them a good sense of self esteem without going too far that it is false or place a value on their outer beauty over the inner. Let's be fair to the other kids...There is just never going to be a more beautiful, smart, sweet, talented, adorable little boy and girl than our little boy and girl. We know this, it is just so tough to keep it a secret from them... Now in Jewish circles, this would be a moment where we'd pause and "fake spit" into the air and say "Kaynahorah". GG (Great-grandma) would happy that we did this to ward off the evil eye.