People say time is relative but I’d say time is funny….and family is relative.  Five months seems like a quick drop in the bucket, sand in an hourglass, a quick fart in the diaper of life, but it seems like years ago that Jade was pregnant and the two of you were hiding shyly inside her fleshy incubator.

I walked past our television earlier today and saw the first family photo we ever had taken – a young and handsome doctor that wasn’t very good at giving epidurals had snapped it on our digital camera in the delivery room moments after they’d handed both of you to me.  I sat with one of you in each arm and Jade laid stretched out on the table, her arms tied down like a death row inmate and click.  The photo is ours forever.  It just seems like a long time ago.

I put you into your cribs at night and you’re too tall to lay sideways anymore.  In fact, you’re both so big that we have you sleeping in your own cribs now.  We’d put you both in the same crib, on separate sides, and you’d fuss a little and then slowly go to sleep………and then you’d slowly start crawling towards one another and, once you found your sibling, you would start punching and kicking them.  Then the screaming would start.  Game over.

We separated you a few weeks ago and I think it’s fair to say that all four of us are sleeping better now.  Mostly you’ll each wake up only once or twice in the night and often times one of you will actually just sleep straight through.

You’ve both begun to mumble quite a bit but Rory is definitely taking the lead on vocality.  We have a little baby monitor that sits in your room and while we go to sleep we listen to you mumble in the dim light.  “mmmrrr…..scwaahhhh……sshhhmmmeeee….we-we!”  It’s pretty funny…..but at the same time sort of creepy because it sounds like a demon.  You also do this really low growl that sends shivers up my spine.  We’ll be changing your diaper and you’ll look right at us and in a raspy wheeze go, “hhhhrrrrrr habba-habba.  Grrrrr rabba-rabba”.  It really does sound like you’re trying to cast a spell on us.

You’re both sitting up now (sort of) but I’ve gotta say that I think Quinn might be galloping into the lead with stability.  Maybe it’s because she’s lighter?  Rory, you’re like a little cinder block with a face and Quinn is like a feather with a gummy smile.

One of my favorite things to do lately is to face the two of you towards one another and watch you play.  You reach out and touch each other’s toes.  You chew on each other’s fingers.  You steal each other’s toys.  You both cry.  It’s loads of fun.

We’re heading back to South Dakota in about two weeks for your first 4th of July and ALSO your first plane ride.  I’m really excited about the plane ride and I don’t really know why.  Everyone has said that traveling with babies is a terrible, terrible experience but I believe in you!!  You’re going to do just fine.  We’re going to get on the plane and people will love you!  You’ll steal the show – just like a thief at a comedy club!

By this time next month we fully anticipate seeing some shining ivories.  We suspect that Rory may be beginning his teething campaign as of yesterday and Quinn I’m sure is not far behind.  I’m trying to spend as much time with you as I can and enjoy every minute because I’m sure that in six months I’m going to look back at a photo of the four of us sitting on the floor, me half supporting Quinn and Jade trying to soothe Rory’s sore gums and I’ll think to myself – that wasn’t that long ago but you’ve changed so much…

4 Months

And now I can officially say that I am jealous of a baby.  It’s true.  But come on, look at those eyelashes!  You’d be jealous too.

To kick us off we had an amazing shoot with Miss Elle for her 6mth photos.  This little girl has, hands down, the most amazing eyelashes I have ever seen.  You’ll see.

And then there’s this punk ass.  Don’t worry, I don’t call all my clients by such endearments.  This one is special.  He’s my brother.  And the red-headed freak has somehow managed to convince this lovely girl to marry him.

This month you’ve both taken a serious notice of one another – uh-oh, it’s 12:54am at the time of this writing and I’m suddenly hearing little noises percolating from the bedroom…….it’s Rory, up for his midnight feeding.  Hello there, little buddy.  When you were born you used to grunt while you slept and while you ate. Now, about three days ago you started to “talk” during any time you weren’t sleeping or eating..  Actually, I suppose it isn’t very fair that I put quotes around that word.  If tonality says anything at all, you both have a mouthful to say to anyone that will listen.  You screech, mumble, warble and sing, sometimes to me, sometimes to your mom, sometimes to your sibling and sometimes to yourself.  I walked into the bedroom a few afternoons ago after getting out of the shower and found you, Rory, lying in your crib on your side, humming like an infant mogwai.

For reference of what a mogwai is, please google search the term, “mogwai”.  Sidenote: Quinn, you sort of resemble a mogwai.  Trust me, it’s okay and is a heck of a lot better than resembling a golem.

I love listening to the two of you make sounds.  Rory, your noises are more like songs and coos while Quinn’s, yours are more in the vein of laughs and screeches.  If you are upset you put your fists down at your side and go, “eeeeEEEEEE!!!!”  When you do this I shake you a little and you laugh, haha.

We also recently purchased you each your very own Johnny / Jenny Jump Up.  We plop you down in this swing that hangs from the door frame and watch you bounce…truth be told there’s not a HUGE amount of jumping that’s happening…..YET…..but I’m sure it will begin shortly.  Currently you both mostly just hang there and stare at one another, swinging around and gently pushing yourselves in one direction or the next.

I’m really enjoying watching you grow but, as usual, it holds a side of bitterness to it.  You’re both rolling over, making noises and beginning to grab things with your hands – you’re turning into toddlers!!  Today we gave you both your first taste of mushy rice cereal and you LOVED IT!…..just kidding.  Quinn, you began to lap it up like a dog but I’m not totally certain you a.) enjoyed it or b.) knew what you were doing.  Rory, you just started to cry.  Perhaps you’d enjoy it more if we splashed a little soy sauce on it?

I’ve started working nights and this last week with the two of you has been fanTASTIC!!  I am so happy to be blessed with additional time to spend with my kidlets during the day.  Working the standard 9-5, I missed you so and was feeling cheated out of a more time-dynamic relationship.  Now the flood gates are open and we get to spend nearly the entire day together before I go to work at 6:30.  It’s GREAT!!

That said, I do enjoy the weekends when I stay up late all alone, trying to remain on my night schedule, when I hear one of your mews from the back room and I rescue you from the dark, bring you into the light and feeding your hungry bellies.  It’s phenomenal having you both around but it’s also nice to get some one on one time as well.  I truly cherish our time together and am always more and more excited to see the people you are becoming.  Will you hate onions?  Will you like rock ‘n’ roll?  What will your favorite color be?  You’re here in our arms but there are so many unanswered questions.  Don’t worry, though, we’ll discover it all together.

3 Months