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Our Stay at the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center

May 6, 2013 1 Comment

Keith, the boys, and I spent the weekend of April 26 in Estes Park, Colorado. We were thrilled to have gorgeous weather!

Friends had told us great things about the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center, a rustic, family-friendly resort right outside Rocky Mountain National Park. So when the YMCA offered to have us stay there for free so that I could write about it, we jumped at the chance!

Estes Park Center has a great military special for active-duty military and their families. It includes a two-night stay in a lodge room, with all meals and most activities included, for $149. (The special is also available at the YMCA’s Snow Mountain Ranch in Winter Park, Colorado.) We were given the military package for free.

We arrived at the resort early Friday evening and checked in to our room in the Emerald Mountain Lodge, which would typically cost $99 per night during springtime without meals included. It was a pretty bare-bones room with two queen beds and a small bathroom. There was no TV, but I guess you’re supposed to be too busy having fun to watch TV! The resort also provided us with two rollaway cribs for the boys. There was no mini fridge, so Keith called the front desk and was told that fridges are typically reserved for people with medical needs. He told them we only needed it for the twins’ milk, but they were kind enough to send us one anyway. Our room also had a pretty sweet view:

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Now, here are the pros and cons of the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center:

PROS:

Location:

It took us under 10 minutes to drive to Rocky Mountain National Park, which is breathtaking. We were able to get an annual national parks pass for free because Keith is active-duty military. Score! At the park, we went on two very different, but equally gorgeous, hikes.

On Saturday, we hiked around Bear Lake. Even though it was about 60 degrees outside, the lake was still frozen. The snow around it was so deep, we could have snowshoed it! But it was worth braving the snow to take in the beauty of Bear Lake and the mountains surrounding it.

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On Sunday, we hiked to the Alluvial Fan. Because it is at a lower altitude, there was hardly any snow there. This waterfall was one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen, though the photos don’t come close to doing it justice:

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Activities:

There are a ton of activities to do at Estes Park Center, which is why it’s such a popular place for family reunions and retreats. There’s an indoor pool, a library, a game room, a rock-climbing wall, a zip line, and a miniature golf course. There are all sorts of sports, including basketball, volleyball, and even archery. There’s horseback riding, fishing, roller skating, and ice skating. And there is lots more, including weekly programs for adults and kids that offer Bingo, scavenger hunts, classes, and more.

Unfortunately, most of those activities are geared toward older kids, not toddlers. I think if Matt and Nate were a few years older, we would have taken advantage of more of them. We did, however, visit the Craft and Design Center, which is really cool! You can make jewelry, paint ceramics and wood objects, tie-dye shirts, and more. You do have to pay to do the projects, and the costs vary.

Matt picked out a wooden fire engine to paint, and Nate picked out a wooden airplane. They cost $5 each. It was the first time the twins painted something other than paper, and though it took them a while to get the hang of it, they had a blast! They were so proud of their creations. I almost don’t want to let them play with them so I can keep them forever!

Estes Art Projects

The boys also had fun playing at a quirky little playground outside the Craft and Design Center, where they met this guy:

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Views:

When you stay at Estes Park Center, you’re surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. Really, it doesn’t get much prettier than that!

CONS:

Food:

On our first evening, we headed to the Aspen Dining Room with our meal card for our free dinner. I have to say—the food is definitely not one of the highlights of staying at the YMCA. It was served cafeteria-style: You grab a tray, get in line, help yourself, and find an available table. The food also tasted like cafeteria food. We managed to scrape together a meal, but decided to skip our free dinner the next night and go to a restaurant in downtown Estes Park. (There are some great restaurants there!) If we had paid the regular price for the meals—$14 for adults—we would not have been happy.

Breakfast the next morning was actually good, though! It was nothing fancy, but exactly what you’d expect—scrambled eggs, sausage links, bagels, muffins, an assortment of fruit, etc. We wouldn’t have even minded paying the usual price of $8 per adult. I can’t comment on the lunch offerings because we ate lunch in our room.

Note: Estes Park Center does have a fine-dining restaurant called the Pine Room, as well as a cafe that serves to-go meals. So, there are other on-site food options.

The Lodge Rooms:

Our room was small and very basic, the beds weren’t very comfortable, and the thermostat didn’t seem to be working: It was sweltering in there and we couldn’t  cool it down. That being said, you don’t go to Estes Park Center to spend much time in your room. Also, at such low prices, we weren’t expecting a luxurious room. Instead, we sort of felt like we were away at sleepaway camp—and it was a fun feeling!

All in all, we had a wonderful family weekend in Estes Park, and the twins had just as much fun as Keith and I did. The best part? Other than the $10 we spent on the boys’ art projects and our inexpensive dinner out on Saturday evening, we did not spend a dime the whole weekend. Even if we hadn’t been given the military package for free, we still would have spent only about $200 for the trip.

So if you’re looking for a low-cost family resort with lots of activities, the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center is a great option. And if you’re part of an active-duty military family, it’s also an incredible deal! You may just want to make a pit stop at the local Safeway for some non-perishable food. ;-)

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A Long Way Home

March 14, 2013 1 Comment

Matt, Nate, and I just returned from another wonderful two-week trip to New York while Keith was in the field. Once again, the boys adjusted beautifully to being away from home, in a completely different environment and in a different time zone. I really love how adaptable they are—a quality that certainly comes with the military lifestyle. It gives me a great deal of hope that our upcoming move to LA will go smoothly and that Matt and Nate will adjust to their new home relatively quickly.

The boys got in lots of fun, quality time with their grandma and grandpa and the rest of the family. I also enjoyed many much-needed nights out without the kiddos. Heading into the city on the subway to hit the town with my friends and family, I felt like my old self again. I ate at great restaurants, hit up fun bars, went to the movies, and even took in a New York Rangers game. It was certainly a much-needed vacation for all of us.

The trip home? Not so wonderful. My Aunt Terry flew back with the boys and me because there is no way in hell I’d be able to handle them on my own. In fact, the two of us could barely handle them. I got to see firsthand how much “behind the scenes” stuff Keith takes care of when we travel to keep things running smoothly.

The fun started when my dad pulled up to the United Airlines terminal at LaGuardia Airport and none of us could get the car seats out of the car. My dad’s car has the latch system, and Keith had made sure to show me how to remove the seats. And I did know how to remove them. I just couldn’t do it. I felt like the latches were buried so deep in the seat I could barely get my hands on them, let alone unhook them.

After 20 minutes of the boys growing increasingly agitated as my dad and I fiddled with the seats, the curbside check-in guy took pity on us and removed them in three minutes flat.

But then we had another problem. I couldn’t seem to attach the seats tightly enough to our Go-Go Babyz Travelmates, which had been lifesavers for us in the past and are amazing items to have if you’re 99 percent of the population. But if you’re me and you’re a complete idiot when it comes to anything technical—yet you don’t bother to read the instruction manual—suddenly they became way less useful, and you end up dragging the kids through the airport without the wheels even spinning half the time because various straps are getting caught underneath them, and your kids are bouncing around in their car seats like they’re on a wooden roller coaster.

(This photo, from our much more peaceful flight in December, depicts how the Travelmates are supposed to work):

This photo, from our much more peaceful flight in December, depicts how the Travelmates are supposed to work. Oops...

Yet we made it onto our flight to Denver, and the boys were doing great. Then we sat on the tarmac for an hour and a half because of some technical difficulty. That’s when the boys’patience wore thin and they began to get whiny and fidgety. They calmed down once we were airborne, but they demanded constant entertainment for the next three hours, and only when we began our descent into Denver did they fall asleep.

We made it to Denver with about 15 minutes to spare before our short connecting flight to Colorado Springs was set to board. Piece of cake, right? Not when you come out of gate B25 and your next flight leaves out of gate B95. That’s SEVENTY GATES! But along we went, each with two carryon bags on our shoulders. Nate was so upset about having been woken up, he refused to sit in his seat. So I had to run through the airport while struggling to carry all 26 pounds of him, and poor Aunt Terry had to drag both of the rickety car seats behind her, one of which contained Matt.

Yet we somehow managed to get to B95, sweating profusely—only to find that our connecting flight was delayed. At this point it was 7 PM Colorado time (which was 9 PM to us since we had come from the east coast) and the boys were starving, so I started shoving whatever I could find in my bag—frosted strawberry Pop Tarts—down their throats. Then we boarded the plane and sat on the tarmac again for an hour—triple the time of the actual flight. Both boys fell asleep once the plane took off, but when we had to wake them 20 minutes later to deplane, all hell broke loose.

Once we got our three huge suitcases and managed to lug them, along with everything else, out of the airport and find the boys’ babysitter (who had driven our own car to come pick us up), we thought we could finally relax. But, oh yeah—now we had to get the car seats back into our car. And Nate was screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs because all he wanted was to be asleep in his crib. And it was snowing.

We finally got home around 9:30 PM Colorado time—11:30 New York time—and the boys drank their milk and went to sleep fairly easily. Then Aunt Terry and I ate cereal and Nutella with crackers for dinner at midnight before we finally hit the sack.

It was a long way home. But two weeks later, here we are, and the whole crazy debacle is behind us. Now we can rest easy—until our big move in three months. Oh, brother…

 

*DISCLAIMER: I wholeheartedly recommend the Go-Go Babyz Travelmate. Just don’t be like me: Read the instructions!

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Family Time!

November 5, 2012 2 Comments

My parents came on October 24 for what we thought would be a four-day visit, as my mom had to get back to work. Then Hurricane Sandy hit, and their flight was cancelled—twice. They ended up staying with us a full 10 days. It was hard for them to be away from home when such a horrific event was going on, but the silver lining was that they got to spend an entire extra week with Matt and Nate. As someone who constantly struggles with the boys being so far from their Grandma and Grandpa, I took comfort in that—even as I worried greatly about my family and friends back in New York and New Jersey.

Before I continue, let me say that thankfully, none of my loved ones was injured in the storm. One of my good friends lost her home, and others lost their cars or parts of their homes. Many of my relatives and friends lost power for several days, and some still don’t have power. Everyone back home has been enduring grueling commutes, waiting hours in line for gas, and seeing local institutions destroyed. I am still in disbelief over it all, and I’m feeling a little helpless and guilty being all the way over here in Colorado. Part of my heart is always in New York, and I wish I could be there to help both the people I love and strangers alike. But still, I feel so lucky that everyone I know is OK.

With that said, Matt and Nate really enjoyed their extra time with Grandma and Grandpa. In between talking to loved ones back home, watching storm coverage on TV, and dealing with the airlines, we managed to have a really great visit. What I loved was that it wasn’t a typical visit, in which we would do lots of tourist activities. Instead, my parents got to spend a lot of time with the boys in their usual environment and do their regular activities with them—Gymboree, Toddler Time at the library, running around at the park, going on walks, and just playing at home with their toys. They also got to spend Halloween with the boys, seeing them in their costumes and going trick-or-treating.

Halloween with Grandma and Grandpa, dressed as the Tortoise and the Hare

The greatest part of the visit for me was seeing how much the twins adore Grandma and Grandpa. Some of my relatives tell me they worry that the boys don’t know them because they don’t get to see them too often. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. My parents arrived here very late at night, when the boys were already asleep. The next morning, when Matt and Nate began to stir, my mom and dad went into their room to greet them. The twins’ reactions were priceless. Their little faces lit up and they both began to squeal in excitement. Nate reached for my dad and Matt for my mom. You would never know it had been over two months since they’d seen them.

Nate really latched on to my dad throughout the 10 days. Whenever we would ask him, “Where’s Grandpa?” he would scream, “Da-da!” and point at my dad gleefully with a huge smile on his face. My father would sing, “Here I come to save the day!”—the Mighty Mouse theme song—in a loud voice, and Nate would laugh and laugh. Consequently, Matt was especially drawn to my mom. He constantly wanted her to read to him, and he let her know in such a cute way—he’d head over to the shelf and grab a book, walk over to her, then turn around and scoot backwards with his butt sticking out and plop into her lap. (Sometimes he would miss her lap completely, which was hilarious.) He also wanted her to hold him all the time, and he’d put his head on her shoulder when she picked him up. But truly, both boys really love both of my parents, and they expressed it often—blowing lots of kisses, patting their heads, cuddling, etc.

We did manage to fit in a few special outings during the trip. On October 27, we went to the famous Emma Crawford Coffin Races & Parade in Manitou Springs. The boys loved seeing all the people in costume, and my dad got a kick out of all of the hearses and decorated coffins. The next day, we dressed the boys in their Tortoise and the Hare costumes (no explanation necessary for these costumes) and went to a Trunk or Treat at Fort Carson. The boys didn’t really know what was going on, but they sure did enjoy collecting treats in their buckets—and we enjoyed eating them. Hehe.

My mom and I also took the boys to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo one afternoon. This is a regular spot for the boys and me because we have a zoo membership. The problem, though, is that I typically take them during the week with friends and their children. Because it’s only me in charge of Matt and Nate, I usually have to keep them in their stroller to stop them from running amok. But since my mom was there this time, we got to hold them and let them really experience the zoo. They were so excited to feed and pet the giraffes and to get an up-close look at all of the animals. It was such a wonderful thing for my mom and me to watch.

Mom and Dad finally caught a flight home two days ago, and we really miss them. But we are settling back into our regular routine. Unfortunately, Aunt Terry had to cancel her visit here, and we were so disappointed—but at least we’ll get to see her when we travel to New York for two weeks for Christmas and New Year’s. And in about two weeks from now, Matt and Nat’s Aunt Pat, Uncle Ken, and Aunt Beth (my sisters-in-law and brother-in-law) and their big cousin Ashley will come here for Thanksgiving. It will be the first Thanksgiving I will host (more on that later)! Keith and I are so glad that despite the distance, the boys get to spend so much time with their family. There is nothing we value more!

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Two Growing Boys

October 1, 2012 4 Comments

September was a super busy month in the Walters household! Following my incredibly wonderful and very relaxing trip to Florida with my cousin, I came home and jumped right back into the fun and chaos of life with toddler twins. First up was a visit from my brother, Dan, and my 4-year-old niece, Ava. We had a blast visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, swimming at our local pool, hitting up the Colorado State Fair, and hiking Helen Hunt Falls. It was also a nice glimpse into what life would be like with three children. Matt, Nate, and Ava are all good kids and generally well-behaved, but any time you have three little ones together, things can get kinda’ crazy! Luckily, there were three of us and three of them, so we kept everything under control. :-)

The gang at Helen Hunt Falls—minus Dan, who usually ends up being the photographer because, well, he’s a photographer

Matt and Nate have been keeping up a pretty full activity and social schedule—Toddler Time at the library on Wednesdays, Gymboree on Thursdays, parties and play dates, trips to Denver to visit the Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Zoo, and all sorts of other fun. I can’t imagine how I will keep up with the boys when they’re older and playing sports!

I’ve been quite busy, too. I’ve been working out a lot more regularly, leaving the boys at the gym day care while I take classes, or pushing them in their jogging stroller while I tackle the neighborhood hills. We’ve had a bunch of work events with Keith’s unit, so the boys have met (and possibly terrorized) a few new babysitters when our regular ones weren’t available. And I’ve been working a lot. My new “office” is a local coffee shop, where I go two days a week to pound out the assignments while the boys are with Traci. I’ve also spent many late nights working in my basement office while the boys and Keith slept soundly upstairs. It can be difficult sometimes, but it’s also been nice to be so busy professionally.

Most importantly, the twins are growing and thriving. They had their 15-month appointments on September 21, and they are doing great!

Matthew is now in the 9th percentile for weight. That may seem small—and it is—but this is a huge accomplishment for a boy who hadn’t even been on the growth chart at all for the first several months of his life. He’s in the 40th percentile for height. Woohoo!

Matthew, tired after a long day of running around!

Nathaniel, who always looks like a giant next to his brother, is actually only in the 23rd percentile for weight—a big “TAKE THAT!” to everyone who calls him chubby. (Guilty as charged!) And, he shot up to the 70th percentile for height! Looks like he’s going to be tall like his Grandpa Dan.

Nathaniel, about to open drawers he’s not supposed to!

Here’s the kicker: Both boys are in the 85th percentile for head circumference. Yup, they’ve got big ‘ol noggins. We like to say it’s because their heads need to be large enough to house their burgeoning brains. After all, they’re going to grow up to be geniuses. ;-)

Each boy seems to be learning loads of new things every day, and they continue to surprise us. Nate, who still is not interested in walking on his own (though he’ll toddle around quite nicely if he merely grabs one of our fingers), is like a little parrot these days. He repeats nearly everything we say (which could be dangerous). “Good boy, Nate!” is followed by “Uh-oy!” “Nate, do you want water?” is answered with, “Wawa.” You get the drift.

Matthew is also quite vocal. He greets everyone and everything with a “Hi!” and an enthusiastic wave. He’ll then continue to wave until the person acknowledges him. (Apparently I used to do this when I was little, too, except I’d basically scream in people’s faces until they answered me. This caused my mom quite a bit of embarrassment at the grocery store.) And since Matt mastered walking months ago, he’s now moved on to running, zooming out of my sight and basically giving me heart attacks any time I take my eyes off him for even a second.

The boys’ biggest obsession? TRUCKS! Any size, any shape, any color—they go nuts over them. They have a bunch of toy trucks and a big truck book, and it still is not enough as they seem to be constantly fighting over them. Any time they hear a truck drive down our street, they’ll get really excited and start waving to the window. If they see a truck outside, they’ll shout and squeal and basically act like they’ve just seen a celebrity.

The twins also love books. This should not be surprising, as Keith and I both loved to read as kids (and still do), but it still always thrills us. They have these mini Mickey Mouse Clubhouse books that they always seem to be carrying around the house, or in the car, or in their stroller. Nate will often lie down on his back in the corner of the room and page through a book. And Matt will bring books to me or Keith all day long and shove them into our faces until we indulge him and read them. This is wonderful and so adorable, but after reading the same book 10 times in a row, it starts to get a little old. So sometimes we’ll cheat and abbreviate the story, but we never, ever turn down his requests to read. We want to foster his love of books as much as possible!

The biggest thrill is that the twins are now interacting and entertaining each other all day long! When they wake up in the morning, they’ll stand in the corner of their cribs and pass stuffed animals back and forth to each other, giggling gleefully and buying me 20 more minutes in bed. They’ll follow each other around the house to explore and get into all kinds of mischief. And generally they’ll even play with toys together, though sometimes that results in tug-of-war matches over the same toy.

Finally, the boys still eat like little machines. They love almost all foods, but their favorites are pasta, chicken, PB&J, and any kind of melon. Nate is great about eating his vegetables, but it’s a bit more of a challenge with Matt. I’ve started whooping it up and doing a silly dance every time he takes a bite of veggies. That works wonderfully, but unfortunately it is not something I’m willing to do outside the privacy of my own home!

Happy October to all!

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A Month of Travel

July 23, 2012 1 Comment

I finally have some time to blog after an incredibly busy month that took Keith, the twins, and me to the east coast, back to Colorado, to the west coast, and back again. I now understand what other parents have meant when they’ve told me they needed a vacation from their family vacation! Since we hit three different time zones during the month, the boys’ sleep got really messed up. And now that Matt and Nate are mobile, very loud, and very energetic, it’s no longer easy to fly with them. (More to come on our airplane adventures in a later post.) But, we all survived and had a great time, and the boys enjoyed many milestones! Here are the highlights:

On June 12, we flew to New York to spend some time with my family. There, the boys took their first trip to the beach. They absolutely loved playing in the sand, and they squealed with delight as they splashed around at the water’s edge.

Us at Rockaway Beach!

Matt and Nate also took their first trip to the aquarium (the New York Aquarium in Coney Island) with their cousin Ava and Uncle Dan. They loved the sea lion show, but then Matt fell asleep in his stroller while we walked around. Nate, though, loved waving to all the fish!

Hi, fish!

And, the boys  took their first carousel ride! Since then they’ve ridden many carousels and absolutely love it.

First carousel ride! They were a little apprehensive at first…

We spent a nice Father’s Day with my parents, brother, and niece. The next day, we drove to Washington, DC. On our way there, we had a milestone of another sort that involved Keith’s arm being covered with poop in the middle of a rest-stop Burger King—but we don’t need to delve any further into that.

We spent four days in DC with lots of family. While there, the boys turned one! We also had a service for Keith’s dad at Arlington National Cemetery. Keith’s dad passed away the day after Keith deployed to Afghanistan, and since Keith had already stayed behind for nearly a month for the boys’ birth, he couldn’t come home. So,the family decided to wait until the deployment was over to hold the service. It was worth the wait—the service was wonderful and very well-deserved for a man who spent 30 years in the Air Force!

We then returned to New York for five more days, where we held Matt and Nate’s first birthday party in my aunt and uncle’s backyard! We had a pool party with an “Under the Sea” theme. Everyone seemed to have a blast, including Matt and Nate. They did get a bit frightened when the whale pinata broke open, and Matt got a little freaked out when 30 people started singing “Happy Birthday” to them. But overall, they really enjoyed “swimming”, playing with their little pals, and eating all the yummy food and birthday cake!

Ready for the big party!

We headed back to Colorado June 26 for three days before hopping a flight to LA. There we spent four days in Santa Monica. We had lots of beach time, explored the Santa Monica Pier, shopped, and ate lots of yummy food. It was our first family vacation where it was just the four of us. It was a lot of work, yet really relaxing at the same time. It also marked the boys’ first trip to California, which is as big a milestone as any in our family!

Santa Monica

Next, we headed to Coto de Caza to visit Keith’s brother, sister-in-law, and niece. Keith’s sister flew in for the occasion, too! We had a lovely 4th of July—we watched a community parade and then barbecued with some family friends. The next day, we went to Disneyland!!!

We weren’t sure how the twins would do at Disneyland. After all, they are so young. We didn’t know if they’d be afraid of the rides or the characters, or if they’d get really cranky during such a long day. But it turns out we had nothing to worry about. Matt and Nate LOVED going on all the rides! Their favorite was It’s A Small World, but they also loved Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the Jungle Cruise, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and so many others. They didn’t even get scared on Pirates of the Caribbean. (In fact, Matt fell asleep on it.) They also loved watching Mickey’s Soundsational Parade and meeting the characters. What a fun and memorable day it was. (Of course, it probably would not have gone so smoothly without all the help from our family.) I only wish we could have gotten more pictures, but it’s so hard with two toddlers to wrangle.

Us in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle

Meeting Goofy!

Watching the parade with Daddy and Uncle Ken in their first pairs of Mickey ears!

Meeting the man himself

We spent our last day in California visiting Doheny State Beach before we headed back to Colorado on July 7. Keith returned to work July 10, and we’ve had a ton of events to go to with his unit since then. So, we are just now feeling like we’re getting settled back in. And for the first time since early June, I actually got a full night’s sleep last night! Whew!

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Entertaining twins!

April 30, 2012 2 Comments

As I mentioned a couple of posts back, Keith and I have hired a babysitter, Tracy, to help me out with the twins a couple of days a week. The idea was that she could watch them while I get work done. But what usually ends up happening is that I run errands I can’t do with two babies, or she and I take them to do activities I can’t do alone with the boys, such as Gymboree. Sometimes I feel bad about the experiences the boys and I miss out on simply because there are two of them.

Let’s start with Gymboree, where the boys take Play and Learn classes. Gymboree requires each child to be accompanied by an adult. Even if it didn’t, there is no way on earth I’d be able to chase after both boys as they crawl and climb on everything. So, we are limited in how often we can go. When we were in New York during Keith’s deployment, my cousin Kim would make the 45-minute drive from Long Island to come with us every Friday. After Keith was injured and we returned to Colorado, he was able to come with us even though he was in pain. But now that he is back at work full time, Tracy comes with us once a week, and Keith and I take the boys on Saturdays when we can.

Many of the other moms at Gymboree take their babies to class three times a week or more. If I could, I would do the same. I’d also take them to story time at the library, to Mommy and Me yoga, and to swim lessons. I really want to give the twins more of these enriching experiences, but there are only two days on the weekends, so there is only so much Keith and I can do with them.

Now that the weather is nicer, some of my mom friends go on hikes together with their babies. Keith and I have taken Matt and Nate on a couple of hikes.  We carry them in backpacks on our backs, and they absolutely love being out in nature. I wish I could hike every day with them in the gorgeous Colorado mountains, and socialize with other moms while doing so. But I am limited to taking them on walks in the double stroller around our neighborhood. That’s fun and beautiful too, but it ain’t Pikes Peak or Red Rocks.

Hiking at Red Rocks Open Space

Matt and Nate also love the park. I can probably manage to take them to the park alone right now if I really wanted to, but not for much longer: Matt is thisclose to walking, and once that happens, he’ll need an adult on top of him at all times. Who would keep an eye on Nate?

Fun at the park with Mommy and Grandma

Even everyday errands are so much fun for the boys, but many of them are just impossible with two of them. The other day I ventured to Target alone with them, and by the time I did the whole song and dance of unloading their stroller from the truck, transferring them into the stroller, and making sure all the doors were closed before crossing the parking lot to the store, I was exhausted. Also, I could only buy a few items that I could rest on the front console of the stroller. (I looked around to see if Target had any double shopping carts, and I didn’t see any. But even if I had, how would I get the boys into the store to even put them in the cart?)

I even feel a twinge of jealousy when I see another mom taking a happy little stroll with her baby curled up in a Moby wrap or Baby Bjorn. I myself own two Baby Bjorns, but was never able to use them when the boys were little enough to fit in them. If I did go anywhere with them, there were two of them, so my only option was to put them in the double stroller. I would have loved that feeling of having them so close to me.

Sometimes it makes me sad to think of all of these things the boys don’t get to do that other babies can do. But then I remind myself that they have something most of us don’t—a twin. They share such a deep and special bond. They have a constant companion to navigate life with. Already, they enjoy each other so much. Sometimes when I am in the other room getting chores done, I’ll hear them laughing together. They are getting better about sharing and playing together.

Also, I know that as the boys get bigger and learn to walk, I’ll be able to do more and more with them on my own. Until then, I manage to get through the day without them getting too bored. I take them on long walks, or I’ll push them side-by-side on their ride-on cars around the block. Keith comes home for lunch most days and plays with them a bit. Tracy is here two days a week, for five hours at a time, and entertains them. They have a play date one afternoon a week with their pal from Gymboree, and his mom and I take the kids to the park or the zoo.  I play with them and read to them when I can, and sometimes I even—gasp—let them watch TV. (I don’t see anything wrong with TV in moderation!) And, like I said, the boys even entertain each other!

I’d love to hear from other parents of multiples: How do you entertain your little ones? How do you get out and about with them when you’re alone with them?

Filed Under: the twins' first year Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Baby, we’re back!

January 27, 2012 2 Comments

When I was pregnant, many people warned me that I’d have no time to blog once the twins arrived. “Ha!” I’d think to myself. “I’ll show them! I’ll be that multitasking Supermom who will take care of my babies, freelance regularly, make home-cooked meals every night, keep up with the laundry, AND blog four times a week!”

Um … yeah. It turns out, all those people were right. Here I am, nearly seven months since my last post, and I have finally found a moment to update Double Duty Twins.

In my defense, it has been a crazy seven months. On July 4—two weeks after Matt and Nate were born—Keith deployed to Afghanistan. I spent the next month and a half in a new-mommy craze, trying to figure out how to care for these two tiny, demanding beings with the help of a steady stream of visiting relatives. (Thanks, Mom and Dad, Aunt Terry, Kim, and Pato!) I finally established a routine … and then I left Colorado.

On August 23, the babies and I boarded a plane to New York with Aunt Terry, a double stroller, two car seats, about 27 diapers, and mounds of luggage in tow. We planned to live with my parents in Brooklyn until Keith returned home about nine months later. I set to work unpacking, getting us settled in, and establishing a new routine for the boys. And things were finally getting easier. Matt and Nate started sleeping through the night shortly after we got to New York. Keith finally got Skype in his room in Afghanistan, so the boys and I began to “see” him regularly. And the babies settled into a pretty decent schedule.

Then, on October 8, my cell phone rang. It was Keith. “Don’t freak out,” he said. (Cue freak-out.) “I got shot.”

Keith got shot in his left calf. The bullet tore up his calf and hamstring and traveled all the way up to his butt, where it remains lodged. (Ouch.) Keith spent a week in the hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, then nearly a month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. He was sent back home to Colorado on November 9 to rehab. The babies and I returned home to be with him, and here we are still. Keith is continuing to recover, but he still has quite a bit of nerve damage and a lot of pain, and there’s a part of his wound that still hasn’t closed. He will find out soon whether he’ll be cleared to return to Afghanistan with his unit for the remainder of the deployment.

What a scare we had. I am so incredibly thankful  that Keith is still here with us. I know how lucky we are, and I will never, ever take that for granted.

The babies are amazing. At seven months old, they have such unique personalities and make us laugh harder than we ever have. They seem to learn something new each day.

Matthew is our little spitfire. He may be tiny (still wearing 3-6-month clothing), but watch out—he is quite the strong little fella. Matthew will roll over and over and do an Army-style low crawl to get to a toy he wants (which is usually whichever toy Nate is playing with). He likes to bang whatever he is holding on the ground or the table so as to make the loudest noise possible. He loves to explore, touching and grabbing anything in sight. He can already stand while holding something without any assistance. And when he’s angry, he’ll let you know. Trust me, he will.

Nathaniel is our big, lovable baby who will cuddle with you all day if you let him. Already wearing 12-month clothing, he is round and dimply in all the right places. Nate is not as physical as Matt, but he is way more verbal. He loves to
“talk” — “Dadadadadada,” and “Boobooboobooboo,” and “Oooohhhhhhhh!” He laughs and squeals a lot, even at things that are decidedly not funny. He loves to splash Daddy while taking a bath and to stare at ceiling fans.

Some other things about the boys:

- We take them to Gymboree class once a week, where they love to hear songs, work on movement, and interact with other babies.

- They love to go on walks, which we try to do almost daily.

- They are in full-on teething mode, drooling like crazy and chomping on anything they can get their hands on. Matt already has his two bottom center teeth. Nate should cut his first tooth very soon!

- The boys are great eaters and enjoy all sorts of baby food—chicken, turkey, lots of fruits and vegetables, and oatmeal.

- They are still great sleepers—10 to 11 hours a night!

And as for me, I am finally starting to get back to all of those things I wrote about in the first paragraph. I’ve started freelancing again, and even had a story based on this blog published in the December/January 2012 issue of Fit Pregnancy. I do cook most nights (although they aren’t usually gourmet meals), and I’d like to think I take pretty good care of my boys (all three of them). I can’t say I’m totally on top of the laundry—but hey, we all wear clean clothes! And, as for this blog—I’m back, baby! I plan to update it at least twice a week from here on out. Please hold me to that!

The four of us on January 12, Keith's birthday!

Filed Under: the twins' first year Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Double Duty Baby Shower

April 8, 2011 Leave a Comment

Usually, throwing a baby shower is a somewhat straightforward task. You pick a date a month or so before the baby’s due. You choose a local spot and invite relatives and friends. Everyone oohs and aahs as the mom-to-be opens her gifts. Then the expectant mother hauls home her presents, sets up the nursery, and waits happily for her little bundle to arrive.

Not so when Mom-to-Be lives 1,600 miles away, is expecting twins, and will be splitting her time between two locations while Dad-to-Be goes off to war. Here’s what planning my baby shower entailed:

1. Because carrying twins comes with a higher risk of preterm labor, I was cut off from flying at 24 weeks pregnant. That meant my mom had to plan my shower super quickly for a weekend 3 1/2 months before my actual due date. It also meant she couldn’t surprise me—though finding out I was having twins was enough of a surprise to last a lifetime.

2. Two babies need lots of stuff. When those babies will be living in two places, the amount of stuff needed doubles. Consider this: Two nurseries means four cribs, two changing tables, etc. What I struggled with was what exactly I would need in each place. This made setting up a baby registry unusually challenging.

3. Then there was the minor issue of exactly how to get the things I’d need here in Colorado, back to Colorado.

Ultimately, none of that mattered thanks to my wonderful and resourceful mother, my extremely thoughtful friends and family, and a husband with packing skills that can’t be matched.

The baby shower took place on Saturday, March 26 at the Greenhouse Cafe, a delicious Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. About 40 of my closest friends and family members came from far and near to help me celebrate. My sisters-in-law even flew from Michigan and Ohio to be there! The afternoon was full of love and laughter, and really, that was all I needed.

My mom did an amazing job with the planning. She created a safari theme to match the theme of the twins’ future nurseries, pulled together by adorable diaper cakes made by Jennifer Esposito of Little Madam Tutu. Here’s one of them:

Jennifer even included a yellow ribbon at the bottom in honor of Keith!

Here I am with Mom, the hostess :

And with Keith before the shower:

And here are the boys’ gifts, most of which Keith managed to stuff into four suitcases that we took home with us. The twins are so spoiled already!

All in all, I could not have asked for a better baby shower or for more amazing friends and family. Thank you so much to my mom for doing such a great job, and thank you to all of the wonderful ladies who came to help me celebrate. Keith and I so appreciate everyone’s generosity and thoughtfulness!

Stay tuned for a slideshow of photos from the shower, as well as one of some of the wildly creative gifts the boys received!

Filed Under: baby shower, pregnancy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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