Just like life, but with better music

As promised many... many... many months ago, here is a little video I put together in honor of Jacob's first steps. In all honesty, this was the first time I actually attempted to get the video off of the camcorder. I guess I have some work ahead of me for the rest.

Baby food... the next superglue

Ok, so it has been a while... so sue me. Just thought I would type a few words to let y'all know we are still out here. The boys are doing great. They are really starting to become little humans. Yes, for a while, I was starting to think that they were swapped with some sort of alien brood, but now it appears that they really are human... or perhaps they are just learning to act human.

Well, if that were the case, they didn't learn it from me.

Soon we will be visiting the Byers clan in sunny California. There will also be a large representation of the Danish clan as well, which will be their first chance to meet the boys in person. It is my hope they will continue to speak to us after that.

Would the human race continue if the truth was known?

Being a father has brought a lot of things into focus for me. One of the most prominent is the fact that I have been lied to by every parent that I have spoken to.

We have all heard our friends with kids say:

"It is so rewarding to have children. They are truely a blessing"
or
"Kids are great! Sure, they are a lot of work, but it is worth it!"

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my boys, but if I knew then what I know now...

So, I have come to this conclusion:

Parents lie to non-parents

This is not done out of malice, but rather a strange way that we naturally ensure the species continues. If we all knew the truth, I don't think there would be nearly as many teenagers on Montel saying they want babies...

Now some truth-

• Babies cry ... a lot. Not just a little whimper, but the kind of cry that makes your ears ring and your neck tighten. The kind that makes you look around for any glass that might break. When being carried, they also tend to point their mouths directly to your ear. I now understand why many parents respond to other babies crying: Post traumatic Stress disorder.
• Babies poop ... a lot. This is something I think we all know, but the truth is in the details. It is hard to believe that a purely liquid diet creates such a variety of defecation. Ah, and the smell is delightful. Very quickly new parents become connoisseurs of the myriad of smells a dirty diaper might contain. We will also not hesitate to hold the baby up and take a good long sniff. I am not sure why, because it is usually easy to tell. To make things more surreal, we coo to the babies about how good their poop is.
• Spitup. This is something that still surprises me. Why we choose such a benign word as spitup is part of the lie. If we were being honest, we would call it something like forced regurgitation at high speeds. Ok, that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but you get the idea. The babies also plan their attacks. You might think you are in the clear... they have burped, pooped, been changed, etc... but as soon as you are not paying attention BLEAH (that is the sound I feel best describes the action.) Suddenly, you, the couch, the floor, and the baby are covered in what smells like spoiled milk. What is most amazing, is the fact that somehow the bib the baby is wearing usually comes out clean. Go figure.

I don't want to make it sound all bad. There are those moments where you really feel like a parent and love your children more than anything in the world... it just usually happens when they are sleeping.

But, as an expample of contrast, here is a funny video that shows why we lie. This of course, is not one of my boys, but now that I know how to add video, I will post some for your viewing pleasure in the future

There will be time to sleep when I am dead

As most of you know, the boys have finally arrived! Heidi and I are getting adjusted to our new bundles of joy, and our new sleeping schedule.

Connor was born first at 7:45 AM on December 5th, weighing a stout 7 lbs, 2 oz.



Just two minutes later, Jacob entered this world. Don't let his size fool you, he is a feisty little guy. He weighed 4 lbs, 12 oz.



And a picture of Mom and babies...



And finally, a picture of the soon to be Mom the night before the birth...



Thank you all for your well wishes. We are extremely happy and look forward to this next chapter in our lives.

cha cha cha changes

OK, so I have really dropped the ball on updating the blog. I apologize, but things have been a bit crazy around here. About a month ago, I found out that my office was closing, which in turn meant I was losing my job. Ever since then I have been frantically searching for a new job and have had quite a few interviews. Needless to say, not very good timing with the fast approaching due date.

Oh yeah!... Before I forget to mention it, we have a scheduled C-section on December 12!

Heidi and I have a history of numerical alliteration (well, thats what I call it). OK OK... really we only have the date of our first date, which was July 7th (07-07.) But if you ask Heidi, my birthday is celebrated year round, so naturally I include that day: August 8th (08-08.) Well, maybe I am the only one celebrating year round, but when you get married, the two become one right?

Hopefully the boys will cooperate and hold out until that date.

Ok, so just a short entry today, but here are some pictures.

Don't make me stop this womb and come back there!

Well, the boys were not very cooperative on Saturday during the 3-D Sonogram. If their behavior in the womb is any indications of how they will be, Heidi and I may be in trouble.

Here are the basics of what we saw on Saturday:

Baby "A"

Apparently this little guy is getting all the caffeine that Heidi has stored in her body. At times, he was wiggling around as if he had some place to go. Also, it would seem that he has found some of his body parts... we noticed him sucking on his foot for a short time.

I don't think I was ever that limber.

Between all the movement and body parts in the way, he was pretty much saying:

"Oh, so you want to take my picture... go ahead, make my day."

Baby "B"

He is the shy one. Much quieter in comparison to "A". In fact, I think the only reason he was moving was to steer clear of his brother. With all those limbs flying around, he most likely has learned to dodge and weave accordingly. During the 45 minute session, he kept his arm up in front of his face. It almost seemed like he was trying to keep the paparazzi at bay.

So, we will have to do it all again. Maybe I will give Heidi a shot of Jack Daniels to slow things down in there... well, maybe not. We all know how I turned out (OK, it wasn't Jack Daniels for me... probably akvavit.)

I will update as soon as we get some good pictures or if I just feel like venting.

Get in my belly!

I thought I could get by with the picture of Heidi and the van... but No... the peasants have revolted and the walls have been breached. In response to the demands, I will release our prisoners and post a new picture of the mom-to-be. Enjoy!

Heidi at 25 Weeks