It was In The Cards

5/4/13

Team Esker decided to get brave this weekend and head up to Milwaukee for the Cardinals game.  We got an early start because Mom wanted to stop off for a voice lesson on the way.  It was nice to be able to take a break, stretch the legs and spend some time at the park down the street.  We even got to Miller Park early enough to do a little tailgating before the game.  

Brenden and Jackson both did really well!  The boys looked so funny walking around the stadium, taking in all the sights and sounds of the ballpark.  They were so cute we even got complements from Brewers fans.  The game brought plenty of action on the field as well… multiple lead changes, home runs, and a suicide squeeze.  In the end, the Cardinals pulled off a close one for Brenden and Jackson’s first win.  That’s a winner!

The Only Time We Ever Mention ONE

4/28/13

It has become harder and harder to keep up with the blog, due to the fact that we now have two walkers… And I’m not talking about the zombies that walk around and eat brains, although they do have quite the appetite.  You know it’s bad when you go out for breakfast and a complete stranger at the table next to us says “Do they always eat that much?” Meanwhile, Brenden is stuffing his face with two hands full of pancake.  Haha!

Mom and Dad are pretty proud to have two babies walking by 11 months.  We definitely get noticed at the park when the next tallest kid is twice their size.  They look hilarious motoring around the playground with their new shoes.  They almost look like they have peg legs.

Since I last checked in, the boys turned the page on their first year!  What a milestone!  I know people say it all the time, but it has gone by so fast. We definitely talked of this day during the end of mom’s pregnancy and our time in the special care nursery.  “They’ll be one before we know it.”  It’s finally here!

The birthday party was a great success.  As always, Mom had to bite off more than she needed to and made all of the party favors… bow ties, hats, signs, cakes, and books.  We drove down on Friday night and managed to get home without taking a boat.  Elmhurst got 7 inches of rain on Wednesday and Thursday.  It was so bad that Dad couldn’t even get to work on Thursday. 

We woke up on Saturday morning and got down to business.  The boys’ nap schedule timed out perfectly so that they got up right after all the guests arrived.  Then, it was straight to the kitchen for cake.  They didn’t do so well at first, but I guess that was to be expected with everyone huddled around the table and a strange mound of sugar on their food tray.  They did much better once they had some real food and opened all the gifts. 

Dad had to play Tetris in the back of the SUV to get all the gifts packed in.  They now have enough toys to entertain for days, maybe months.  Brenden and Jackson got a guitar and a ukulele from Mom and Dad.  We have heard some killer tunes this week.  I also got the swings from grandma and grandpa put up in the tree in the yard.  I foresee some serious swing time being put in over the next month.  One of their favorite toys has to be the tunnel from Nana and Pa.

Brenden and Jackson are so fortunate to have such loving family.  Grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles are all such a big part of their lives.  Thank you to all who made the day such an awesome one!  We are so blessed to have two healthy boys celebrate one year!  We pray for many more to come.

We may have a soccer star...

... and a basketball player.

Goin Mobile

Man... I love having Monday's off!  This weekend has provided plenty of time to recharge the batteries and take advantage of some quality family time.  Brenden and Jackson are at a really fun age.  Each day provides a new adventure.  I always look forward to walking through the front door and hearing about the new feat that Mommy has to share.  Whether it be a picture, a video or just a great story, it is definitely a highlight.

Saturday, we decided to get out of the house and head to one of our new favorite breakfast places in Elmhurst, Egg Harbor Cafe.  It's tough to get seated in the middle of the place and not get noticed with 10 month old twins, so we were on display.  I couldn't count fast enough to keep track of all the double takes and nice comments people made.  Needless to say, I was a very proud father overlooking my table of four.  Brenden and Jackson are right at eye level in their highchairs.  It is a serious sight to see.  They split a pancake about the size of one of them.  When they brought it out, I thought that there was no way.  Much to my surprise, they knocked it out no problem.  These two kids are garbage disposals.  I honestly don't know where it goes.  Mom and I keep talking about how we would hate to see our grocery bill in a few years.

Brenden and Jackson are both very difficult to keep confined to one room.  It is only a matter of time before these two fugitives mastermind another jail break as you can see from the video evidence.  Haha!  Their motor skills are improving more and more.  Both Brenden and Jackson have mastered the pull up and baby stance.   They can also walk behind their new favorite toy and sometimes even manage to turn with a little assistance from Dad.  We decided to make it official yesterday and say that Jackson is now WALKING UNASSISTED!  He has been taking a few step between here and there, but he rattled off 6 or 7 yesterday.  It's pretty cool to watch him get better as each day passes.  I know Brenden won't be far behind!

Merry Merry Christmas

The holidays have come and gone and we couldn't be more thankful for our wonderful family!  The time leading up to a much-needed two weeks off was a little stressful, but it was all worth it to be able to see Brenden and Jackson enjoy their first Christmas.  We decided to do it right this year and get a real tree and it looked great.  We even had our first family Christmas and watched the boys tear into their gifts.  Dad definitely received the biggest surprise of all when he opened his eyes to a new banjo!  Mommy did well!

The trip back home was a great opportunity to enjoy Christmas for all the right reasons!  Brenden and Jackson are so lucky to have such loving grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  Our first stop was Teutopolis.  The boys were greeted by open arms and did plenty of cuddling in their free time.  However, they weren't really in the mood during Christmas eve mass.  They squirmed and struggled their way through while providing plenty of entertainment for the people behind us.  Then, it was off to Great Grandma and Grandpa Esker's house where the boys started off rough, but found their second wind around 9:00.  And, it was a good thing because Santa decided to stop by like he always does!

The next morning we woke up and opened gifts with Grandma and Grandpa Esker.  Aunts and uncles were all sure to get their last hugs and kisses in before the ship parted for Newton.  Dad even managed to score some of Grandma Esker's famous slippers in the gift exchange.  Score!  In Newton, Brenden and Jackson were showered by more gifts from Nana, Pa, Kaleigh, and the Wolfs.  The boys had to work the wrapping paper quickly before “the storm of cat shit” (as Nana puts it) arrived at the house.  The decibel level soon rose from a 2 to a 10 in a matter of minutes… Haha.  As always, the Beavers were all in the Christmas spirit.  We enjoyed plenty of home cooked food and cheer.  A good time was had by all.

The remainder of our stay was accompanied by a pretty good size snowstorm.  Newton got around 7 inches of snow which meant Pa had to put in some late hours in the snow plow.  But, that didn’t stop us from getting out in the ranger for a ride.  Nana had some time off that week and enjoyed every minute of it hanging out with Brenden and Jackson.  We eventually managed to squeeze all of Brenden and Jackson’s gifts in the SUV and made it safely back to Elmhurst.

The Twins... They Are A Changin

We recently got a new video camera complements of Great Grandma Lewis... Enjoy!

Notice how Jackson is ready for his bite plenty early. Haha!

The Pumpkin Patch Tour

Wow!  It’s crazy how much of a difference a month and a half can make!  I just read my last post and it seems like ages ago.  The boys’ diets have expanded to a wide variety of fruits and veggies prepared by chef mom.  In fact, just two days ago they did chicken for the first time.  It’s been a blast watching them try all the new foods.  Their faces say everything when it comes to likes and dislikes.  Apples and pears are by far the favorite.  Jackson doesn’t do so well with green veggies, but we’ve managed to trick him into eating them anyway.  I thought Brenden was gonna spit his chicken right back at mom and dad.  The boys have also gotten much better at understanding how a spoon works.  The first few weeks were a little rough because they kept wanting to treat it like a bottle.

Jackson being Batty and Brenden sucking on his two best friends

Trick or Treat

This new diet has produced two super energetic growing boys.  Jackson has learned to army crawl and Brenden is also doing the boot, scoot and boogie.  Anytime we put them down for tummy time, leaving the room must take place with extreme caution.  Both Brenden and Jackson think that any object found on the floor is eatable and therefore belongs in their mouth.  Mom and Dad had to act quickly in order to baby proof the house.

In the meantime, Brenden and Jackson continue to develop both physically and mentally.  I can’t believe how different they look and act.  Their personalities are really starting to show.  They are definitely not shy.  We’ve enjoyed all of the company and visitors!  We can’t wait to bring the family home to see everyone on Thanksgiving!

Mom's 30!!!

1... 2... 3... 4

The Honeymoon Period Is Over

Our schedule is booked and our lives are officially crazy.  The last few weeks have been pretty intense.  Between my school/coaching and Mom teaching voice and piano, we have managed to raise two growing boys.  So much has happened since the last post.  We found out the hard way that two weddings in one weekend is a little much.  Even one wedding is pretty stressful with twins.  It can make a 3-day weekend seem like it happened in the blink of an eye.  We've learned that grandparents are most definitely grand just as the name indicates.  Dad has learned that bachelor parties are really fun until you have to care for twins the next day.  Most importantly, we’ve learned to always keep a level head when you are dealing with two screening babies… Just ask the bumper on our SUV.  Tonight, we decided to put the boys to bed early because Mom was heading to choir rehearsal.  Therefore, I have a little over an hour to myself.  So, while I wait on this load of laundry, I thought I would take a few minutes to log some milestones.

Jackson rolled over only a few days after Brenden turned the corner.  In fact, it’s almost become an issue with the sleeping arrangements.  There have been numerous occasions where Jackson will roll over on Brenden in the middle of the night and cause an early awakening.  The boys also weighed in at their 4-month checkup just under 12 pounds.  Jackson is now only 2 ounces behind his older brother.  We also started cereal last month.  It was a little tough at first, but the boys are finally starting to understand that there is a difference between a bottle and a spoon.  In the meantime, our house has transformed into a workout center for babies.  We have Jumperoos and Exersausers and Play Gyms.  At this rate, we won’t be able to walk from the living room to the kitchen without climbing over baby stations.  I currently stub my toes on a daily basis.  Yes, our lives are officially crazy, but it’s funny how all the stress goes away when a screaming fit turns into two giant ear to ear grins and a couple of belly laughs.