Happy Father's Day!

We also had a great Father's Day! Thanks Russ, for being such a great Dad!

Happy 2nd birthday boys!

Well, it's official... we now have two 2-year-olds in the house! Alison's parents were in town to visit the weekend before the big day, so we opened some presents and had cake with them. We saved a few gifts for the actual day and just had a good time! For the most part, the boys were more impressed by the fact that Pooh and Eeyore were on their cakes than they were with how they tasted... Just goes to show they don't get sweets very often! We also had them in to the doctor for their two year checkups - both of the boys are about 33 1/2 inches tall. Caleb weighs 22 lbs and Joshua is 23 1/2 lbs. They are still small for their age, but Dr Duff says they are following their own curve and to continue feeding them as much as they will eat!

Both of the boys are HIGHLY mobile and into everything these days. Joshua decided to climb out of his crib the day before they turned 2, so we have transitioned into toddler beds. We were hoping to wait until after baby # 3 arrived to make this transition, but safety prevailed, so it is done. The boys are doing okay with this... they take longer to fall asleep, but usually stay that way once they are out for the count. We're not always sure exactly WHERE they end up sleeping, but they get some rest! Overall, we are enjoying our final days as a family of four and looking forward to being a family of five soon!

Caleb's Climbing!

I wanted to share one more special thing that Caleb has been doing the past couple of weeks... climbing on top of the chair! So far there is only one chair that is low enough for him to climb up on, but I'm sure that won't last as long. He is such a ham and is always so proud of himself once he accomplishes his goal as you can see by the pictures! I can only imagine what I will find him on top of as the days go by!

1 year and 2 months old

We have had a busy, but enjoyable second half of the summer here in Kansas! The boys continue to grow and change all the time. Both Caleb and Joshua are now walking proficiently and even starting to pick up the pace quite a bit! Both boys continue to chew on EVERYTHING... Joshua has a total of 6 teeth and Caleb still only 2 to show for their efforts. Both of the boys will now put food into their own mouths which is fantastic!!! We are making progress into feeding ourselves independently! We are still working on figuring out how to tip the sippy cup so we can get a drink, but I think we're making progress. I still enjoy being at home with the boys and Russ is getting into full swing again with fall programming at work. Enjoy the pictures of the antics the boys have been up to!

One year checkups and more family!

We had the pleasure of having some of Russell's family visit us as well this past week. Willie and his fiancee Christine came for a quick visit this past weekend. What fun we had playing with the boys in the pool and going out to eat while the boys slept at home with the babysitter. Mary Jo and Gary also came to visit for a few days and we had a lot of fun with them as well. The boys continue to enjoy all the company we have been having. Caleb showed off for Mary Jo and Gary while they were here by starting to walk! He can now walk across a room all by himself and he is so proud! We went to the doctor yesterday for their one year check-up. The poor little guts had to get 4 shots each, but they were troopers. It was a good visit and he says they are doing great! Here are their current heights and weights:

Caleb: 29 inches long, 17 lbs 12 oz
Joshua: 29 1/2 inches long, 20 lbs 6 oz

We now know just how much heavier Joshua is than Caleb and trust me, you can tell when you pick them up! Here are a few more pictures of us and our recent visitors. Let us know if you want to come and visit too!

Happy Father's Day and fun at home

We celebrated Russell's first Father's Day this year by going out to lunch together after church, since Russ had to work the rest of the day. We had a good time together and we know that many more fun father's days will come... The boys are continuing to explore EVERYTHING now that they are more mobile. They are very curious and will open any drawer, cabinet, etc... that they come across. Caleb can now walk about half way across the room (or about 10-15 steps) without falling down and he finds it very exciting! Joshua has chosen to expand his horizons by trying to climb on top of or into various things. We definitely have our hands full! Both boys have been teething, so they have been a bit on the fussy side as of late. Hopefully those teeth will come in soon! The dogs continue to be very good with the boys and Joshua just can't get enough of them. Enjoy the pictures of their recent adventures!

They're ONE!!!

Wow! It is so hard to believe that these two little boys are already one year old! Time has gone by so quickly and we are having such a good time! Grandma and Grandpa Witbrodt came to visit this past weekend and helped us celebrate the boys' birthday a little early. We had a great time opening and playing with gifts, although Caleb didn't care for the sound of the paper ripping. Cake was fun to squish around in their hands, but neither of the boys was interested in having any of it in their mouth. Caleb is now taking 4-5 steps on his own in a row and Joshua could really care less about walking as crawling is really much faster. Here are a bunch of pictures of our birthday weekend... more will follow over the next few weeks as we celebrate with other family!

11 months old

It is hard to believe that the boys are just one month away from being 1 year old! As you can see from the pictures and the previous videos, the boys are on the move! They are now quite proficient at crawling and can get just about anywhere they want to go. Both of the boys can also pull themselves up to standing and Caleb is cruising everywhere! You can even tell that they are doing their best to see if they can climb up on top of things. So far they have been unsuccesful at this endeavor, but I'm sure at some point they will succeed. All of this has opened a whole new world of exploration for them and they are loving every minute of it.

The washer and dryer are always entertaining for at least a good 10 minutes when they are running and even 2-3 minutes when there is nothing inside! We have a tunnel that they like to explore. They will both go inside and then sit and giggle with each other. Another favorite activity is to empty every drawer or shelf that they can get their hands on. They also like to climb on top of and tackle anyone brave enough to get down on the floor with them. Needless to say, we are loving every minute of the time that we have with them! Joshua has developed curls... we're not exactly sure where they came from, but they sure are cute. Both boys are working on tooth number two, so they are starting to get toothy little grins and are looking less like babies and more like little boys every day. I had a great first Mother's day and I'm looking forward to many more!

Many of you are planning trips our direction this summer and we can't wait to see you! Enjoy the pictures of all of Caleb and Joshua's explorations and antics!

10 Months and Moving 2!!!

10 Months and Moving!!!

A visit from Russ's family

We had the pleasure of having some company for a few days this past week. Russ's sister Becky and her son Ayden, Russ's mom Nancy, and Russ's brother Joe and his daughter Morgan spent some time with us and we had a lot of fun! It was great for us to finally meet Ayden in person and to just play with the babies. We went to the park a couple of times, saw some pretty flowers, baked cookies, and caught up on stories. Here are some pictures from our fun time!

9 months old

How is it possible that our boys are almost 9 1/2 months old? Time continues to fly by and the boys continue to not only grow, but thrive. They are sitting up by themselves now and like to get up on their hands and knees and rock back and forth. We are sure that mobility will not be long in coming and that our lives will be changing in ways we can only imagine! Caleb talks up a storm and Joshua is currently our quite one, but can certainly let you know if he needs something. They are very interested in each other and often sit and giggle at one another. The other day they were taking toys from each other back and forth and just laughing about it the whole time like it was the funniest thing ever! Let's hope THAT lasts a while... We recently purchased a mini van and really like the room it provides. The boys seem to like riding in it better as well since they can now see out the windows and view what's going on. We have been blessed with some beautiful weather and have enjoyed many walks in the double stroller. Alison's parents visited and she and the boys also went on a trip to St. Louis and got to see Aunt Nora, Aunt Erin, Uncle Brian, and cousin Micaiah as well as great aunts, uncles, and great grandma. What fun we had swinging in the park, feeding the ducks, and playing with fisher price toys left from when Alison and her sisters were young. We went to the doctor today, so here are the official stats:

Caleb: 28 1/2 inches long, 16 lbs 5 1/2 ounces
Joshua: 29 inches long, 18 lbs 8 ounces

As you can see, they continue to be long and lean and Joshua continues to be a bigger eater... We are thrilled to have these two boys as part of our family and hope you enjoy the pictures!

8 months old

Since Christmas, we have dealt with a second round of the stomach flu as well as colds that included ear infections... The boys are now on the mend, but unfortunately they have not been the happiest most photogenic little guys, hence the lack of pictures recently. They are really active movers these days as they are rolling all over the floor and seem to enjoy every minute of it! They have also become more proficient at sitting up and can play this way as long as there is a boppy or someone close by to prevent major falls... they still don't understand that they can't lean any direction they want to without reprucussions. Caleb loves to sleep on his tummy and prefers to have his bottom stuck straight up in the air, which always brings a smile to our faces. We are thankful they aren't moving too quickly yet, but are sure that it won't be too long in coming. Bathtime continues to be one of their favorite parts of the day and is always lots of fun! Caleb is very expressive with his faces as well as vocally - it is never a mystery what mood he is in. We have even had some really nice days when we were able to go for a walk. We're looking forward to spring when we can do this more often!

7 months old...

The boys turned 7 months old a few days ago. It is so amazing how quickly time goes by! We have been busy this month as we are remodeling one of our bathrooms, so pictures are not currently available, but we wanted to let all of you know how we are doing. Joshua continues to refuse to roll over completely onto his stomach, but will go from side to side over and over again. Caleb on the other hand is all over the place in his crib at night and we never know how we will find him in the morning! He seems to prefer sleeping on his stomach, as that is often his position when we come in to get him. Joshua can sit up on his own for 10-15 seconds at a time and then usually gets too excited about something and over he goes! Caleb is a little too active to have that sort of control yet, but he is working on it. Joshua has also perfected the art of passing the ball from one hand to the other as he is playing. We made a quick stop in the doctor's office yesterday for flu shots and weighed the boys with their clothes on. Here are their approximate weights and lengths:

Caleb: 15 lbs 5 3/4 oz, about 27 inches long
Joshua 17 lbs 7 3/4 oz, about 27 1/2 inches long

They seem to be growing well! They have also both mastered the art of eating rice cereal at this point, so we are venturing into new foods. (I am waiting to start each new food at the same time with both of them to make it easier to keep track.) I am attempting to make our own baby food as much as I can and we are starting with peas! We will try to take some pictures of this and future new tastes to come. We continue to be so thankful for the boys and look forward to seeing what they will do in the next month!

The twins' first Christmas

We had a great time experiencing Christmas with our boys for the first time! The boys had the flu just before Christmas, so unfortunately they were not their usual happy little selves, but we got a few grins out of them anyway! They were even able to help open their presents. We traveled to Oklahoma City the day after Christmas to visit with Alison's family on her Mom's side. It was great to see all the relatives and to introduce them to the boys. It was also a great time for us to spend with Alison's immediate family as well. We stayed in a hotel, so the boys got to go swimming for the first time! I think Mom and Dad had more fun than they did, but that's okay! The stockings that you see were made by Alison - she got them finished just in time for Christmas! All in all, 2008 has been a year for us to remember with lots of changes and many blessings. We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us in 2009!

6 months old!

It's hard to believe that the boys are 6 months old already! Time sure does fly when you're having twins, graduating from seminary, selling and buying a house, moving, starting a new job, etc... The boys have continued to grow and the doctor was pleased with how they looked! They continue to be long and lean, but Dr. Duff says that's just fine! Here are their recent heights and weights:

Caleb: 26 3/4 inches, 14 lbs 4 oz
Joshua: 27 1/4 inches, 15 lbs 12 3/4 oz

Caleb is now rolling over from his back to his stomach and Joshua continues to be very close. Alison, Caleb, and Joshua all had the stomach flu for the past couple of days, so it has been a little interesting around our house! Everyone is on the way to getting better... now we just have to get back into our normal routine again! We are off to Oklahoma City the day after Christmas to visit some of Alison's family, so I'm sure we'll have pictures from that adventure soon. In the meantime, we wish you all a very blessed Christmas.

GO CARDS!!!!

Now, we know that baseball season is still a long ways away, but Alison has already been talking to the boys about the Cardinals and how they're the best team (and only team) to root for! Alison and the boys had a fun time one day dressing up in Cardinal gear and taking a few pictures. Beyond a doubt, Caleb and Joshua will be ready for spring training when it comes... and you know it will be here sooner than you think! In the meantime... GO CARDS!!!!!!!

We are growing up SO fast

It is hard to believe that the boys are 5 1/2 months old already. Over the past week they have really started to interact more with their surroundings... reaching out for toys and manipulating things on their exersaucers (sliding beads back and forth, turning the steering wheel, tumbling the parts that rattle). They were looking like they were going to roll over at any minute for a while, but now it appears that they have no interest or have forgotten that was a skill they had almost acquired! I'm sure that one day we will leave the room and come back a few minutes later to find them in a completely different position than how we left them. They have become very proficient at pivoting in circles on their backs both in bed while they are supposed to be sleeping and as they play. Both of them chatter up a storm and love to have their hands in their mouths. Joshua has also discovered that he can stick out his tongue and prefers to do so much of the time. We will be going to the doctor for their 6 month check up in a couple of weeks and it will be interesting to see how much they have grown... pants and onesies continue to be plenty wide but become too short in a hurry! Alison is really enjoying being at home with the boys and Russell is thankful that he gets to work full time, but always enjoys coming home to see the family! Enjoy the pictures of our ever changing, ever growing boys!

Five months old and a trip to St. Louis...

It is hard to believe that the boys are already 5 months old! Where has the time gone? Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas is just around the corner! Alison's sister, Erin, had planned a trip to St. Louis with her husband Brian and their daughter Micaiah. Micaiah is 4 months older than the boys and we still had not had an opportunity to see her. SO... off went Alison and the boys to St. Louis! Russell was not able to come along, so Alison braved the 6 hour drive by herself with the boys. All in all it went well as she only had to stop one time each direction. Alison and the boys had a great time visiting with family. Russell was very glad to have them back when they returned! Here are some pictures of their time there - enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!!

Today is Halloween as all of you know and we had the pleasure of "trick or treating" at the doctor's office today! Today was our first visit with Dr. Duff here in Manhattan and we had a great visit! The boys continue to be growing well and are healthy as can be. Here are their official 4 month statistics:

Caleb: 25 1/4 inches long, 12 lbs 14 1/2 oz
Joshua: 25 1/4 inches long, 13 lbs 12 1/4 oz

As you can see, Joshua has been very busy eating as much as possible (up to 9 ounces in one sitting) and has surpassed his brother in weight. They continue to be equal in length and are progressing well with their milestones. It wouldn't surprise me if they started rolling over soon... the days of mobility are just around the corner! We went on a hike with the dogs and the boys today and just had a great time. Enjoy the pictures!!!