The end is near!

No, I'm not talking about the Mayan calendar.

I'm talking about the end of life as we know it. This week, Dean Davis learned to climb out of his crib.

Pause with me here while I silently mourn the era of putting children to bed and not worrying about them getting out of the bed again until we were good and ready to come get them.

....

....

....

OK. I'm working on pulling it together. (sniff. sniff. sigh.)

The thing is, we tried for a few days to just tell him to "Stop it!" firmly, and also to "indicate" (read: lie) that it was actually impossible to climb out of the crib. Unfortunately, my child never listens to a thing we say. And eventually, he made it all the way out, and fell -- with a heart-stopping thud -- on to the floor. He landed on his arm in such a way that I could readily see the soft cast he's going to have at some point, at least once, but maybe more than that, in his young life. Thankfully, we were spared a trip to the emergency room -- and he only cried for about 5 hearty minutes.

Lester tried to linger a little longer in denial, by saying, "Well, at least he won't try that again!"

But the next night, our little maverick cried real tears because we'd pushed his crib too far away from the dresser for him to get the leverage he needed to hoist himself over the crib rail. Real tears! This daredevil was determined to try it again! The night after nearly falling to his death!

So as we all know, this means the cribs have to go. Once a climber, always a climber.

So, this weekend, Lester's going to break the cribs down into toddler beds. And life as we know it will end.

Thanks, Mayans.

(Throwback pic of the boys in the little room -- which is now Clair's -- when Cary first learned to stand up in the crib and Dean was all like, "Hey! How the heck does he do that?")

The good ole days.

Waaaaay down in the hole

The post's title is a phrase from the theme song from "The Wire," which Lester and I watched faithfully when it was on. Especially since both of us at one point worked at The Sun, and live in Baltimore.

But the title is in reference to the way my two sweeties look now that Lester has lowered both their cribs to the lowest rungs!!

I don't like it!!

I know I sound like a whiny brat, but seriously. Could my babies be any farther away? They might as well be in a well or something. Ugh. And I had to take away all the bumpers, because they're pulling up now, and could potentially hang themselves on the decoration -- no matter how cute it is.

So they are now in naked, drab cribs, waaaaaay down in the hole. I have to literally stand on tippy toes, and strain to pick them up.

I really, really, really don't like this! Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!

It was so much better when they slept like this (both fitting in the Pack 'n Play!):

Or even better (napping on the sofa next to Mommy):

Or EVEN BETTER (This always brings tears to my eyes! They're in preemie clothes for goodness sake!):

But now they're big 9 and-a-half-month-old babies, who are pulling to stand (Cary) or pulling to kneel (Dean) and safety has to come first, right?

Excuse me while I go crawl way down in my own hole ... and cry. Time is moving way too fast, and my babies are moving too far away. Already.

Nine is fine!

So far, nine months is pretty darn good.

Cary stood up in his crib for the first time this morning, and tonight, Dean took two little crawling "steps!" (I'm not sure what else to call it...) Two different milestones on the same day!!!

In between these two exciting moments, Dean gave me a zillion hugs, Cary pulled up on me and kneeled into my torso, so he could chew on the buttons on my shirt. Dean and I made a game out of stacking blocks for him to knock down, which he found hilarious; we read two stories and sang a bunch of songs, including "Kookaburra" (one of their favorites). Dean turned his head toward where the telephone usually is every time it rang, showing just how smart he is and Cary splashed in the bathtub with such vigor, I got all wet and didn't care one bit. Lester made Dean laugh and laugh during the boys' bedtime bottle, just by touching his nose, and Deanie even leaned in to give Lester four kisses in a row! Cary snuggled in to me and looked like an angel drinking his little bottle and both boys fell right to sleep without fuss or struggle, leaving Lester and me a Friday night to eat Chinese food, watch TV and just spend time together.

If this is what 9 months is going to be like, I say bring. it. on!

The boys were so awesome today, Lester and I are planning to try to go out for family breakfast tomorrow morning. Let's hope we're not pushing our luck. I'll keep you posted.

Standing on his own two feet

Guess who was standing up -- on his two little PJ-padded feet -- leaning on the crib bar, hollering loudly for Mommy and Daddy this morning?

Cary Davis.

We've found him kneeling before, but never standing. Yikes. This is all happening fast!

Guess it's a good thing we lowered the crib mattress last night. (Thanks, God, for the nudge! You're always right on time.)


(Photo of him in the playroom, standing.)



(He's so pleased with himself!)


P.S. Happy 9-month-birthday Dean and Cary!!! The boys have now been outside in the world longer than they were inside of me. Sigh. Excuse me while I go cry my eyes out. Thanks.

A milestone reached, too soon

Today we had to lower Cary's crib mattress one rung, because he's getting so good at pulling up and hanging over the bar! It was just one rung, but he seems so far away now.

Dean's crib is still on the highest rung, and I like it that way. I can reach in with minimal effort and get to my boy!

(Did I mention I'm short?)

Also, tomorrow is the babies' 9-month birthday. I seriously can't believe they're 9 months!

When I was pregnant, a co-worker who also has twin boys gave me a bunch of their old clothes -- and I remember going through them, peering dubiously at the 9-month-sized footie pajamas, thinking, "What 3-year-old is going to fit into these??"
I could not have conceived of the day my two little babies would grow to fit -- and actually outgrow! -- those PJs.

And yet, here it is.

And even though they're still in their cribs, thank the Lord, I'm already having to move my babies farther and farther away from me.