some more pics

These were taken on the 21st

Benjamin exercising with Great-Grandma

Boys playing with the psychedelic play thingy

now for actual pictures...

Benjamin

Zev

... and Benamin

... and Zev

... and all together now

a much delayed (small) update

The boys have been growing well and continue to become (somewhat) more interactive.  Ben makes more of a determined effort to communicate - by repeating "hi" when he is in the mood.  Zev mostly luxuriates in having less stomach pain these days.  Both are clearly more fascinated with toys, especially the ones that move and make noises.  I think I qualify.

Now, I know y'all want more pictures...but right now the camera battery is completely discharged.  The battery is getting juice, and in the mean time - here are three recent captures from Alla's cell phone.

Ben: "This lying next to each other thing is weird..."
Zev: "Who cares, bro, we gonna be on TV!"

Ben: "Hey!  I know you, bro!"
Zev: "Dude, that stain on your pants better be milk!"

Ben: "Oh, snap.  Mom, tell me that wasn't in the shot...  Was it?"
Zev: "You see who I'm dealin' with here?"

a progress report, a few pictures

Another week has passed successfully, thank G-D.  The boys are gaining weight well and continue to improve their tracking and smiling capabilities.  The whole spending-time-in-the-play-pen-on-the-stomach thing is not too popular with them, but it will grow on 'em.  Zev's gut continues to behave like that of his father, mostly, i.e. he's not having a great time of it.  It seems to be getting better, slowly.  Or maybe it is wishful thinking at this point.  The definitive news is the complete defeat of the red burn marks on both butts, mainly, we think, due to liberal application of A+D ointment (where is my endorsement deal, darn it?)

Ben with Aunt Olya, our amazing nanny

Zev with daddy

the boys with daddy

and again

... and again.  Zev is smiling, now that both him and his bro established that the right person is holding them.  Benjamin is still not sure.

Grandpa Tolya with Zev, two days later.  no verification needed here.

Ben, not sure at all about the play pen.  This picture has been modified to reduce the vampiric appearance of the werebaby. 

the two month checkup and vaccinations; us vs the stroller, round 5

Pediatrician visit on Monday went very well.  The boys were pronounced pretty much perfectly healthy, responding well, and growing well.  Interestingly, they even manage to grow differently.  Zev is 11 ounces heavier, while Beresh is 3/4 of an inch taller.  Both tracked the light very well, lifted their heads, and Ben even attempted to talk to our pediatrician.  We were told to make sure they spend enough time each day on their tummies, basically trying to do push-ups.  I am figuring, sit-ups and splits will be next.

A (rather shaky) video of Ben, allegedly saying something to mom.  I'm staying outta this one.

The other objective of the visit was a series of vaccinations (two shots and a drink each).  The only thing I can say about the shots is that they ain't got nothin' on the whole circumcision experience.  The boys complained at being poked as expected, but pacifiers soaked in sugar water did the trick.

Once we got home, we settled in for the next two-three days and braced for impact.  The feedings varied.  The 4-8 pm time frame on Monday was not fun at all, especially for Zev.  Once we caved and gave the boys acetaminophen, they were OK.  The night time went smoother.  Tuesday and today the boys are a touch fussier than usual, but nothing major so far.

Misha with Zev, on Sunday 8/7

The final round against the stroller has taken place.  With the arrival of the correct adapters from the Netherlands, the stroller was finally wrestled into submission.  On Monday the boys rode around the hospital like kings.  At least two different people complimented us on the stroller first, and then on the passengers.

Finally!

Also from Monday:

"I am Ben, I am a very scary red eyed baby!"

Calm red eyed baby

"My scary brother is watching over me, so I can take a nap."

the long awaited pictures

Zev, sleeping thoughtfully.  7/30

Great-grandma Lena with Ben, around 7/24

Ben resting, 7/25

Mom with Zev.  Proudly wearing results of a successful burp.  7/27

Grandma Rita with Zev, 8/2

Zev sleeping on dad, around 8/2

Mom and Zev, 8/1

It appears Benjamin has been a bit camera-shy lately.  We will rectify that.

another sorta birthday

It has been brought to my attention that no posts have appeared for some time.  Well, today is a perfectly fine day to fix that - another bogus milestone, two months.  (look - in two weeks is it ten weeks - birthday! in two more - three months - birthday! do you see where this is going?  G-D willing we make it to 5 months, also known as 20 weeks - double birthday!)

Both of the boys are well over 10 lb now, and continuing to gain.  They track with their eyes consistently and reports of them smiling at people are getting to be consistent, although I do remain skeptical at the deliberate nature of the smiles.  Over the previous week or so Zev added a new weapon to his arsenal - a piercing squeal / shriek.  This weapon is particularly effective in close quarters, against a nearby ear.  Mercifully, he does not use the weapon often.  The boys have also shown occasional fondness for the hip-hop style of wearing diapers, i.e. wiggling around until even a decently tight diaper is worn *way* low in the back.  This will become relevant later.  I hope the whole 'diaper gangsta' fad is just a phase and they grow out of it soon.

Yesterday, during Shabbat dinner, Ben had a historic event - he met his first pretty girl (that he was not related to).  An adorable 8 year old girl repeatedly called both boys 'cute' and asked to hold Ben.  Zev, I believe, was busy hogging attention via a gassy stomach.  Benjamin was a gentleman, i.e. he managed to not poop or vomit on the girl.

Every time I think that the poop subject matter has exhausted itself, I am proven wrong.  Few days ago during a night feeding Ben and I had an event that can only be described as "severe loss of containment".  I should preface this by saying that the yellow-green rule (let a pooping baby poop) has been discarded due to the (literally) acidic affects of poop on skin.  It has been replaced by the "respond and contain" principle.  Onward.  During a night feeding I received tell-tale olfactory and auditory indications that we had a pooping event.  No big deal, usually.  This time, however, it was coupled with a diaper worn super-low.  Well, you can imagine.  In mere two minutes that it has taken Ben to pause in his meal so I could respond, the damage was done.  What should have been in the diaper was in the shirt.  Which acted as a strainer, as Ben's weight pressed and refined the fertilizer.  The liquid filtered though the shirt, further filtered through the blanked, and the pure, refined essence of poop was deposited onto the crutch of yours truly.
Not to be outdone, Zev responded a mere couple of days later.  On Friday Alla and I managed a trip to the gym between feedings (go us!) as the nanny watched the boys.  When we got back, we found her cleaning the diaper basket in the downstairs bathroom.  She greeted us by saying "they had a problem."  The boys were fine.  The room was also fine - by then.  Evidently, during a diaper change, Zev waited patiently for the opportune moment of being diaperless and fired all calibers.  There were no human casualties, but material damage was substantial.  We were told he got two walls, the surface he was on, everything on it, and the floor.  The ceiling, I believe, was safe.

ye, ye - pictures are coming.  hang on.

no news = good news

Not much is new here.  The kids are eating, pooping, sleeping, and growing as planned.  The screaming seems a bit less lately - or I am slowly growing accustomed to it.  Zev's stomach has been a bit better as well, in part due to the Happy Tummi Pouch (thanks, Boston Grandparents!).  Consequently, the parents are doing decently as well.

Sound asleep as mom pumps, after they woke us up for the 3am feeding.

In recent days the progress has been ... anything but boring.  On Friday the boys showed clear signs of developmental progress.  Usually, a walk puts them to sleep instantly.  This time, they stayed awake, squawking periodically, for he first 25-30 minutes.  Since they were not screaming full blast, and not directly into my ear, I was OK with that - which is more than can be said for my walking partners, a nearly one year old and his father.  Then teamwork kicked in.  Benjamin fell sound asleep, while Zev began yelling regularly.  Not at the top of his lungs, but just loud enough to annoy me and still keep his voice to keep going indefinitely.  After another 25 minutes or so Zev fell asleep.  Little more than ten minutes later Ben woke up and started his shift.  At this point I bid goodbye to my partners and headed home.  Only right next to our house did Ben finally fall asleep as well.  Total walk time: 75 minutes.  Time both boys slept at the same time: about 12 minutes.

The following 24 hours were impressive.  While the boys do sleep better now that their bed is inclined (mad props to Alla, the real engineer in the family), they took turns demanding a lot of attention.  Eventually, one reaches a final state...  Beyond frustration, beyond anger, beyond rage and desire to inflict severe pain on fellow (adult) human beings.  Beyond that there is numbness, when one does not care about anything, hardly noticing even the piercing screams of a baby who is hungry and dirty and won't eat until clean and won't quit yelling while being changed.  There is nothing there, and only a weak, distant glimmer of hope for a sweet release of death.  Death here is defined as a state where no one can pee, vomit, or shit on you.  Nor can they vomit or pee all over their suit and diaper, right after you got done changing both.  A state where no one wakes you up.  Ever again.  Doesn't sound that bad, does it?
The help of family nearby (thank you grandparents Rita and Tolya and aunt Vika, and all else who allowed them to help us!) and a few hours of sleep drown out the seductive, whispered promise of a 124 grain hollow point.  One feeding at a time.  Some food, a cup of coffee, and one feels almost human again.

Our nanny, and now Alla, both claim that the boys smile socially (ok, have done so at least once) and track contrasting objects with their eyes.  I am not sure, I suspect they are both a bit biased.  The boys do look at the face of whoever feeds them rather intently, and tend to look away if you do - for sure.  They also had their first skype session, to the delight of the Boston grandparents.  Yay technology.

Today, much ahead of schedule as we were told, we put each of them for a few minutes into the play area.

Ben, exploring the psychedelic colors around him

"This is kinds kewl..."

After about 5 minus Ben decided he had enough and started hollering.  Naturally, no pictures of *that*.  We figured, 5 minutes was too much.  Zev got about two - long enough for me to take a few shots.

"That yellow orange thing is kinda neat!"

"On a second thought, I don't trust it as far as I can through it.  And I can't through very far, can I?"

Following the overstimulation... I mean, play time, the boys headed downstairs.

Taking it easy, letting aunt Vika, mommy, and daddy eat breakfast in peace.

fundamentals of specialization and team work

Let me preface this by stating that this night is going decently, and the most recent feeding, the one that just ended, actually went very smoothly.  The previous 48 hours, however, have been... challenging.

The boys have worked out an excellent routine, where by they can maximize the time they can keep us up, while actually eating well and resting well enough to keep gaining weight.  Simply, after a meal one falls asleep (usually Ben) while another spend 30-40 minutes demanding to be help upright (usually Zev) while quietly vomiting on the shoulder of the person holding him.  Then they they switch.  After the 40 minute each, they would actually maybe sleep for 30 minutes, and then start the wake up process, where one wakes up and gets just noisy enough to demand attention.  Once soothed and sleeping, his brother would take over.  This shorter cycle would last for 20-30 minutes, at which time they are due for a feeding anyway - this is when they would both fall asleep deeply, and be righteously indignant when they are woken up and offered food.

The specialization stems from the ever more refined gastronomical tastes.  Zev has stated clearly that if he is offered breast at the start of a meal, he refuses the bottle after (he does just fine if offered bottle right away).  Benjamin, on the other hand, is so frustrated (and frustrating) at the breast, that he receives both mom's milk and formula from bottle only.  Zev also has developed a noticeably more gassy and sensitive stomach, which helps him a lot in the routine outlined above.  About two weeks ago, while replacing Zev's poopy diaper for the second time in 7 minutes, I said: "Are you serious?  You pooped again?"  To which Alla coolly replied: "Thank you, daddy, for your digestive system."  Ouch.  True, so double ouch.

stroller, round 4; new skills

Round four of the stroller bout started with the darn thing delivering a nice 1-2 combination.  The stroller is very well designed, including shock absorbers and wheels with inflatable inner tubes.  Which is all fine and dandy, until  said wheel find a thorn and goes flat, hardly a dozen miles into stroller life.  Following a customary bout of panic, I did what I do best: consulted wise friends.  I was told to procure a substance called SLIME (I am not kidding), inject some into the wheel and all shall be well.  Procuring the substance (indeed, very green and oozing and thick), I followed the instruction to the letter and, to my surprise, we were mobile again in less than an hour.  Thanks, G!  We were startled by the attack, but recovered nicely.

In the mean time Alla finally got a definitive response from totsy.com, the vendor who sold us the stroller.  They absolutely cannot procure the car seat adapters.  For which they are very sorry, and therefore they are refunding us the full price of the stroller, which is a chunk of change.  Upstanding guys.  Decidedly, round three goes to us.

I remember reading somewhere that kids learn very quickly even at this early age.  Well, our sons (same as other babies, I am sure) are great at multitasking.  For example, they routinely manage to hiccup, eat, poop, and scream at the same time.  The have recently added to their repertoire coughing while eating (sometimes while pooping, but that is irrelevant), which produces a very nice misty spray of formula.  Since at the time they are usually looking up, at me, and I am looking down, at them...you can figure it out.

Other than that things are progressing as planned.  The kids are growing; we are working to preserve their health and our sanity.  There are no changes in either - at least that I can detect at this point.

It occurs to me that earlier in this entry I plugged a commercial product and a site.  I was not sponsored to do so.  Which is a shame.  Corporate sponsorships are always welcome here.