April 2015

Dr. Kim, our pediatrician, told us to make sure the boys get enough tummy time, so we've started a regime for them.

Before their feeding they now need to spend some time on their tummies. Just like Nora, they hate that. Adrian finds it a little bit easier than Leo who complains loudly but neither of them particularly enjoy it.

The boys started to smile a week or three ago, and they are smiling more and more.

Yesterday evening when I came home they were sitting in their bouncy chairs downstairs. I sat down in front of them and started talking with them -- they loved that and rewarded me with big smiles. Then I read them their first Nijntje book, Nijntje in de speeltuin.

After a lazy morning we left around noon for a nice long walk. We talked to so many people -- Eric, Lowell, Karin, several other people we don't know.

On the way back we passed by the Belgian bakery and bought bread, and then we went to Trader Joe's. Adrian started crying when we entered the store. It's unusual for the boys to really cry in the stroller but Adrian was definitely unhappy. People tend to look at the big stroller -- even more when there is crying coming from it, haha. We quickly wrapped up our grocery shopping. Nora also cried when the didn't get any stickers -- something she has come to expect from this store, clearly -- so we went back inside and the cashier gladly gave her some ("there's no need to cry, sweetie").

A few minutes after we left the store Adrian fell asleep again.

Nora and I went to the Dutch School in Bethesda this morning for the King's Day celebrations.

This is the third year I've been going there and it's a really nice event. The first 30 minutes we did some book shopping on the vrijmarkt and we brought a big bag full of books to the car. Most books are sold for $0.50 or so and there are many children's books.

Then it was time for the games. This was the first year Nora participated and she liked it, especially the rope pulling. She also got a nice decoration on her arm (a "tatouage", I said) and she tried the blikken gooien.

Nora bought a small xylophone though I did the 'negotiating'. It was at the end of the market and the mother said: "well, my kid told me that everything is $0.10". So I picked up the xylophone and the boy came. He was five or six years old and said: "that's five bucks!". "Hmmm, that's a little more than what I was hoping for...", I said. "Fine! Ten cents!" So Nora gave him a dollar, in a very serious transaction ("dank je wel", "dank je wel!") and both kids were happy.

Just before we left we shared the last home-made stroopwafel, which was a nice treat. We drove home and then walked towards Sasha, who had taken the boys out on a very long walk through Lyon Village.

Later on the day she asked me: "papa, wat is een tatouage?" "Dat is een plaatje op je lichaam." "Ik zag een mevrouw met twee vlaggen tatouages op haar wangen en een meneer met één vlaggetje."

This week we went to the pediatrician for Leo and Adrian's third checkup. At two months old, it was time for several vaccinations so they received three shots. When Nora got them we all got very stressed and sad because of the crying. It was a little easier now that we knew what to expect but we felt so sorry for them.

Their weight is great. Leo is 13 lbs (5.9 kg), and Adrian is 12 lbs 12 oz (5.8 kg). Leo is 23¾ inches, Adrian 23½ inches. Both of them are roughly in the 75th percentile for height and length. They have grown quite a lot. They are a little heavier than Nora was at this age, and a little shorter.

After they got home they slept for a long time, in their car seats still. When they woke up they were cranky and both had a sore spot around one of the injection sites so we gave them a little bit of Tylenol. They slept well at night and the next morning they were fine again.

Мама, да четем? -- Mama, shall we read? -- Nora often asks. "Papa, boek lezen?" Nora loves us reading books to her.

Since the babies came home we've had dinner together every night. The first weeks it was a lot of work to get everybody and everything ready at the same time, but it's getting easier.

Nora wants us to read to her over dinner. She will say: "Да ядем и де четем?" (Shall we eat and read?).

The rule is that we will first have dinner but then we indulge her and read books. It is nice to have a special moment in the day together.

Last week I brought beschuit met muisjes to my work. My coworkers liked it and many still remembered that I brought it three years ago as well.

Today we had beschuit at home as well, and Nora had her first taste of the muisjes... she liked it, which made me proud, haha.

Leo and Adrian are two months today! Unbelievable how time flies.

They are growing well and in the past week or so even started smiling some times. Especially after their feeding they like to hang out with Sasha and stare at her.

On Sunday Adrian was 11 lbs 2 oz (5050 gram) and Leo was 12 lbs 2 oz (5500 gram).

Leo and Adrian are seven weeks old today.

The last week we have seen a welcome improvement in their sleeping pattern, and the beginning of a good schedule. For example, yesterday we started the last feeding at 9.30 pm and around 11 pm they were sound asleep -- and didn't really wake up until 5.30 am. That's a very nice stretch. They don't fully sleep all the time and sometimes one of us needs to rock them, but it's a nice long time nevertheless.

According to our scale they were the same weight today, around 11 lbs and 12 oz (5300 gram). We'll get an official measurements in 18 days when they'll have their next doctor's appointment.