Mini Van -- Max Fun

So, yeah. Twins. They're a little bit of work.

We've been quite fortunate, actually. Friends and neighbors have been dropping off dinners and both of our mothers, along with Sonja's sisters Shawn and Shane, have camped out in the soon-to-be-twins-room for an extended stay.

Just when we get everything down to a science, those things will disappear and we'll start learning new routines all over again!

But moments like this (particularly because they're sleeping simultaneously!) make it all worth it:

Tummy time is fun, too:

So, let's get to know our new additions a little better. (It's important to stress individuality in twins, you know.)

First Mitchell Dodson. Some of you may remember that Sonja and I met while I lived near Lake Mitchell. Therein lies the significance of his first name. The middle name, as many of you know, is my way of honoring my entire family... I had an idyllic childhood growing up on Dodson Court.

Mitchell is all boy. It's striking how much more aggressive and animated his actions are compared to Alyse (and Zoe as an infant). Just as he's about to latch on for a meal, he gives his head a quick and violent shake -- like a lion snapping the neck of an ibis it just chased down. (Hyperbole alert!)

Sonja's very into doctor visit statistics, so I'm supposed to report that as of Monday he surpassed his birth weight and is checking in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces.

Here's a couple pictures of baby boy:

Next up, Alyse Jocelyn. I hope she doesn't have name envy some day, but the significance ends at "names we liked." I, personally, liked the potential for A.J., although I don't think I've called her that once yet.

A while back, Sonja said "if we hadn't already had a baby exactly like her, I'd be worried about her." Like Zoe was, Alyse is calm, cool and deliberate in her actions. She wakes up from a nap slowly and looks around the room, waiting for somebody to notice that she would appreciate some attention.

She was up to 6 pounds, 7 ounces on Monday.

She's also considerably more photogenic:

As long as we're talking about kids, we might as well mention the 3-year-old running around the house.

Zoe has been absolutely great with her brother and sister. In fact, we're only worried that she might love them a little too hard ... like the neighbor's fish that a young Sonja hugged to death. There's constant kissing and hugging and touching. We're working hard to explain that such things should only happen during "awake time," but it's not always the case yet.

She's really not showing any jealousy toward them, which has been a pleasant surprise. About the only issue has been some meltdowns around her bedtime, we're assuming because her rituals with Mommy and Daddy have been truncated.

Ten days after the twins' birth was Zoe's third birthday. She got two parties, on consecutive Saturdays, with each side of her family.

First up was Mom's family, with a Princess theme. Much to Daddy's chagrin, she's very into princesses right now:

One of her gifts were these "big girl fancy shoes." She's now a more accomplished high-heel walker than her mother.The following Saturday, Dad's family was in town and a Dora-mixed-with-Princess party ensued.

For some reason, Zoe chose to wear her CMU cheerleader outfit that day. It's a hand-me-down from cousin Stacy, purchased while Mommy was a student there. So, we got a shot of all the former Chippewas in the house.

Zoe had her 3-year checkup, too. She's sitting at 37 inches (50th percentile) and 28.5 pounds (25th percentile). Still a wee lass, but catching up nicely.

That's about it for now. We'll post again when we have time ... probably right after Mitchell and Alyse's eighth-grade graduation.