Pictures of Michael!

Pictures of Thomas!

My little pumpkins

The boys were pumpkins for Halloween this year. They are ready to go in their costumes. I had to work until 7:00, so David took the boys to the Halloween Party that the City of Edgerton hosts and then they came home to answer the door for trick or treators. While I was at work, the boys did get to share a piece of candy. They enjoyed it so much that Michael was using his sign ( I have been working on teaching them a few basic sign language signs and more is the only one he knows) for more. He wanted more, but daddy would not give him anymore. When I got home from work, we took the boys to a couple of our neighbors houses to trick or treat. Michael thought he figured out a way to get more candy. He put one of his pieces of candy in his mouth, wrapper and all. It just hung out of his mouth while we went to a couple more houses. I wish we had our camera with us. All in all, the boys enjoyed their Halloween and David and I will enjoy the little bit of candy we got from trick or treating!

Good People

It is nice to know that there are still good people out in the world. Last Friday, the boys and I took a trip to the grocery store and between paying for the groceries, holding one of the boys and trying to get out of the store, I must have forgotten or dropped my debit card. I did not realize this until Monday when the boys and I were at Walmart picking up a few things. I went to pull out my debit card to pay and it was missing. Needless to say I was upset, worried and mad at myself for losing it. I tried to remember when the last time I used it and decided that it had to have been at the grocery store on Friday. I had decided that I was going to call and see if by a long shot my card had been turned in and if not, then call the bank to cancel the card. In the mean time I was scared to check our checking account balance online, figuring someone had picked the card up and started using it. Luckily the call to the grocery store was a success. Someone had turned it in to Customer Service. When I told David all of this he, said, "I guess there are still good people out there". He is right and I am thankful for that.

In the picture the boys are 'helping' fold the clean laundry. Last week the boys and I spent sometime at my parents house, while David was in Pittsburgh, PA for a conference. We all had a good time. It was nice to spend some time at my mom and dads. It was also nice not to have to handle the boys by myself.

The boys are getting better at walking along things and walking while holding our hands. Their favorite things to play with right now, are cars, balls, their play telephone and anything they can walk along. The also enjoy getting their mail everyday, which is the junk mail.

15 months old!

Here is a picture of the boys swinging with their cousin Dominic. The boys had a good time playing together when John, Jilinda and Dominic visited over the weekend.

Yesterday brought the boys 15 month check up. We were relieved when the boys gained about a pound, and grew almost an inch. The boys are weighing in right at 18 pounds, their weights are within one ounce of each other. They are both about 29 inches tall. Again the difference in height is very small, only 1/8 of an inch. Other than being small and still not on the growth curve they were on, the boys were given a clean bill of health. We will keep giving them the pediasure and lots of good food to eat, and hopefully they will continue to gain weight.

Yesterday David and I bottled a batch of home brew beer. This beer is a holiday ale and will be ready to drink around Christmas. David is heading off to Pittsburgh, PA on Saturday. The boys and I will be heading off to Omaha on Sunday to spend time with my folks. I also think their will be a visit from David's folks this weekend. We are busy, busy busy!

Spelunking Fun!

Here a few pictures of the boys doing one of their new favorite activities, spelunking! Besides spelunking on the cart and the bookshelf, the boys enjoyed spelunking in the fireplace. That is until we covered it up with the toy box.

Success!!!

I am happy to report that it is now safe to say that the boys have been successfully weaned from breastfeeding. We had been down to nursing right before bed. We quit that feeding a week ago. The boys have done a great job going to sleep without being nursed. I am thankful to have a little bit more freedom and not have to be around to put them to sleep.

In other good news, all of the test results, that we had done on the boys because they aren't gaining weight, are back. Everything came back normal. We go back to the doctor in a couple of weeks for their 15 month check up. Hopefully they will have put on some weight and we can put this issue to rest.

Future Architects

Here are a couple of pictures of the boys playing with one of their favorite toys, the blocks. They love building with their blocks. Michael is in the blue and Thomas in the white. They also love to play with balls, they are getting good at throwing as well. They aren't limiting throwing to just balls, they like to throw whatever they have in their hands. We also love to sit and read books.


Otherwise all is well at the Dillner household. They boys are finding new things to get into everyday. They love to stand, anywhere they can pull themselves up to. They are getting very brave and are beginning to let go of what they standing against. David brewed a batch of Holiday Beer this weekend, so that should be ready to drink around the holidays this winter. Otherwise not too much is going on around here.

The answer is.

If you said that Thomas is in the green and Michael is in the blue, you guessed correctly!! Congratulations!

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

We never tire of finding new places to try to stand up and see the world from a different view. Unfortunately we usually only get up on our knees. We can't always up to our feet. We also never tire of finding new places to hide our toys. The only problem with this, is that we also can't remember where we put all of our toys. We really like to take them over the the stairs and drop them and listen to them fall down the stairs until they reach the bottom. We really hope that dad doesn't hurt himself on the toys in the morning when he is on his way downstairs to iron his clothes. We also enjoy playing with cars, we like to make them move on the carpet. Thomas is learning how to throw a ball. I, being Michael, haven't quite figured that out yet. I do know that my brother likes to beat up on me. His preferred method at the moment is pulling my hair. When I get the chance, I like to bang toys on his head, but when we do these things, mom puts us in time out. Mostly we like to explore the house, play with cars, build with blocks and read books.

I guess this weekend we get to help Aunt Jilinda, Uncle John and Cousin Dominic move. They are moving to Wichita and we are going to miss having them close by. Wichita isn't too far, nothing like Virginia, so we will still get to play with our cousin sometimes.

So who thinks they can tell us apart??? Is it Michael or Thomas is wearing the green????

Mad Science

This morning I have felt like a mad scientist. I have to collect urine and stool samples from the boys and this is my reason for feeling like a mad scientist. I will spare you the details, but just say that it requires putting samples into different vials. Oh the fun!!

Now you may ask why am I collecting the urine and stool samples. The boys are not gaining weight as they should be, so we are doing some investigating. We went to the doctor on Friday to recheck their ears and check their weight. The good news is that both of their ear infections have cleared up, while the bad news is that they haven't gain much weight. So since this is not normal the doctor wants to run a bunch of tests to determine if there is anything causing them not to gain weight, that is where the urine and stool samples come into play, along with blood test, and appointments to visit a couple other doctors. David and I are pretty confident that they are healthy and active boys, but we want to be sure that is the case.

In other news, I am working again. I am tutoring math a couple of afternoons a week up in Olathe. I am working to find daycare from about 2:30 to 5:00 on those afternoons, so I can go into work earlier. I am enjoying it. I love getting out of the house for a few hours. I also enjoy talking to other adults, and doing things non mommy related.

David is getting very excited to take 3 qualifying laps in a Stock Car at the Kansas Speedway this weekend.

Getting Around

The boys are getting very good at getting around the house, and getting whatever they want. Above are pictures of the boys showing off their new skills. Thomas is stuck on the bottom shelf of the cart. We won't be surprised to find him completely on the in the near future. Michael has recently discovered how to get up off his knees, as shown in the other picture. If the boys aren't thinking about what they are doing they will crawl for a short distance, but if they want to zoom across the kitchen or living room they will go to their tummies and the army crawl. They are pulling themselves up to anything they can reach. If the object is shorter they can get to their feet, but if it is a little bit taller then they just get to their knees.

Well the boys just woke up from their naps and are ready to explore the house, so I had better get away from the computer so I can chase them around the house.

We are in trouble now!

Here is a picture of Thomas showing off one of his newly mastered skills, pulling himself up to his knees on anything taller than he his. Another one of his favorite things is trying to climb onto the bottom self of the cart behind him.

It has been a crazy week around the Dillner household. The week started with a job interview for me and crabby teething babies. The job interview turned into a job for me. I will be tutoring math in Olathe a couple of afternoons a week. The crabby teething babies turned into crabby teething babies with ear infections. Since I will be going back to work, I now need to find daycare for the boys. Until we are successful in the daycare search I will work from 5:00 until 7:00 when David can be at home with the boys. One more thing to add to the busy week is trying to get my car fixed from the fender bender we were in during July. We are going to finish the busy week off with a trip to Omaha for the weekend.

Good News

We were giving Thomas some iron supplements because earlier blood tests indicated that Thomas had a low level of iron in his blood. The doctor was not sure why his iron was low, but wanted us to give him extra iron. We were back at the doctor last week to see if Thomas' ear infection had cleared up and while we were there, we had another blood test to see if the extra iron was making a difference. The nurse called with the lab results yesterday and the doctor saw significant increases in the iron so we don't have to give him the iron any more!!!!!! I wonder if the low iron was due to the fact that he had been sick when we did the initial blood tests. We waited until he was over his ear infection to check again, so we didn't have to wonder if the ear infection had anything to do with it.

Last night while we were eating supper, the boys were in their high chairs and sitting pretty close to each other. They thought it would be fun to hold hands, then they thought it would be fun to share their food. Michael gave a cracker to Thomas who willingly took it and ate it. When Michael got another cracker, he wanted to share again, so he gave it to Thomas. Thomas decided to eat a bite of the cracker and give it back to Michael. This went on for a couple of minutes until the cracker was dropped. The boys thought they were pretty funny and the fact that David and I were laughing at them contributed to that idea. Now if we could get them to share their toys, instead of taking them from one another. I have a feeling that supper time is going to get very interesting.

A Busy Week!

This past week, the boys enjoyed doing many things for the first time. My sisters and brother came for a visit and we all went to the boys first baseball game. We took the boys to a Kansas City T-Bones game. They are a minor league team. Besides the heat, the boys had a good time,

they enjoyed looking at all the people and all that was going on. The boys also experienced their first car accident. I got rear-ended while waiting to make a right hand turn. Thomas slept through the whole ordeal and Michael was happy as a calm in his car seat. Nobody was hurt, the back end of my car is all busted, but otherwise no harm done. David's folks came down this weekend. On our way to the Amelia Earhart Festival in Atchison, we stopped at Cabela's. The boys really enjoyed looking around at all the animal displays and the fish in the aquarium. Later that night the boys enjoyed their first fireworks display. Enjoy might not be the right word to use there. They pretty much clung to who was holding them, but they did not scream. After the busy week we had last week, I think we are going to keep it pretty low key this week. In the picture above Michael is in the white and Thomas in the red.

Priceless!

Thomas is enjoying his first OREO!!!! While Michael is double fisting it already!!!!

12 Month Check Up

On Friday we went for the boy's twelve month check up. All in all they are doing well. Thomas weighed in at 16 pounds 7.5 ounces and his height is 28 inches. Michael was just a little bit bigger than Thomas, coming in at 16 pounds 11.5 ounces and 28 1/8 inches. The doctor was a little concerned with the boys weight gain. So in the next six weeks we are going to pump up the amount of protein that they eat, and start drinking whole milk (yeah!!!! some freedom for me!!!) Then we will go back for a weight check. If they are gaining weight then we will continue what we are doing. If the doc is still not satisfied with their weight gain then we will probably start looking into why they are not absorbing what they eat. I don't think that we will have to go that route. The boys have pretty much switched to all table food. I have a small amount of baby food that I am trying to get rid of, once that happens we will be all table food. They are very good eaters. So I think that once they are on all table food they will gain some weight and all will be good.

The boys are getting very good at getting to where they want. In fact right now Thomas is exploring under the desk as I am typing this. They don't actually crawl, but they can get where they want. Above are pictures of the boys enjoying their birthday cupcakes, Thomas is on top and Micheal on the bottom.

One Revolution Around The Sun

As David put it, on Sunday the boys completed their first revolution around the sun. It is truly amazing how far they have come in a year. On the left is a picture of the boys sitting on their new swing they got for their birthday, Thomas is in red and Michael in white. On the right is a picture of the boys a couple of weeks after they were born. What a difference a year can make.

They boys enjoyed their birthday. We had a small party with mostly family. Thomas and Michael enjoyed being the center of attention. They were a little unsure about unwrapping their presents, but they loved all the goodies inside the presents. The highlight of the birthday party was the boys diving into their cupcakes (I will post pictures soon), and getting frosting and cake all over!!!!

Many Firsts

This past weekend was a weekend of many firsts. The Dillner's experienced their first Edgerton Frontier Days. The boys got their first taste of pancakes, which they enjoyed. They also watched their first parade. The boys loved it. We didn't know how they would do with all noise, from the fire engines and police sirens. They watched with big eyes and smiles. After the parade we enjoyed some of the craft tables and various events going on. We had to come home for a nap and a break from the sun. That afternoon David brewed his first batch of beer in Kansas. We had some friends over to help in the process. The brewing process was successful, but the true test will be the taste of the beer. After dinner we went back downtown and the boys enjoyed their first live concert.

It is probably safe to say that Thomas is mobile. He is not actually crawling, but he will do what ever he deems necessary to reach where he wants to go, including rolling, army crawl, scooting, and using his brother to push off of. Michael has yet to master the art of going forward, although he goes backward very well. He also pivots on his tummy. He can get himself pointed in the right direction to go backward to get where he wants. The boys are also enjoying standing, with out support, and are also beginning to pull themselves up on things.

In the top picture, Thomas is in the blue and being attacked by Michael. In the bottom picture Thomas is in the green.

The boys are quickly approaching another big first. Their first birthday!!!! The boys will be one on Sunday. We can't get over how fast this year has flown by.

And the Winner Is!!!!!

Last night Frontier Days began here in Edgerton. One of the first events is a cute baby contest. So we decided to enter the boys into the contest.

We figured the sooner we start the competing between them, the better!!!(HA
HA). Since David had a meeting, I had to take the boys by myself. So we did out little thing standing in front of the judges. It was a little difficult for me to hold both of the boys. There were a total of 5 boys competing in the 7-12 month group. When all the tallying and judging was complete. Michael took third place, while Thomas took second place. I was so busy trying not to drop either of the boys that when I got back to our seats that I forgot who came in second and who came in third. So after all was said and done, I went back to the judges and asked them to refresh my memory. I took one of their sharpies and wrote names on the bottom of their trophies. Here are some pictures of the boys enjoying their trophies. Thomas is in the white and Michael is in the red.

Swimming

Here are some pictures of the boys swimming. I have Thomas and my cousin Lyssa has Michael.

Good Times

The boys and I had a great time in St. Louis. It was wonderful to see some of my family that I

had not seen for a while. The boys traveled very well. The boys enjoy riding in the car. To the left is a picture of my grandparents (dad's parents) and the twins and I. I am holding Michael, while Grandma Betty is holding Thomas. On the right is a picture of the boys getting ready to go swimming for the first time at my aunt and uncles pool. Thomas is in front while Michael is in the back. We put the boys in some floaters and then in the water. They really enjoyed the pool. They were a little unsure when some of the big kids were splashing, but they had a blast. Also on our trip Thomas figured out how to go from sitting to laying on the floor.

Next week is Frontier Days in Edgerton. Hopefully it will be a good time. They have a cute baby contest that people at the City Offices are encouraging us to enter the boys in. We haven't decided if we are going to do this or not. David is planning on brewing his next batch of beer next weekend. I think it is going to be a honey wheat. It should be good!

All Clear!

Yesterday afternoon we went to the doctor to recheck the Thomas and Michael's ears to see if the ear infections had cleared up. We were very relieved to discover that neither of the boys had an ear infection!!!! That saves us a trip to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor.

The boys and I are getting ready for a trip to St. Louis with grandma and grandpa. We are going down for the Kreher Family Reunion and to see all of my dad's family, some of which who have not met the boys yet. It should be a good trip!

Playing Together

It is so interesting to watch the boys play with each other. When we were giving them a bath the other night they were playing with a couple of toys in the tub. Michael would have both of them and Thomas would be having fun splashing. Soon Thomas would decide that he wanted both of the toys, so he would reach out and take them from Michael. This did not phase Michael at all, he would go back to splashing, until he decided he wanted the toys. Michael would then take them away from Thomas. Thomas would go back to splashing and eventually take the toys back. They played like this for a few minutes. Nobody got upset, they were having a blast!

Recent Pictures of Michael

Michael enjoys sitting in dad's chair, he even put himself to sleep in it one night. He also enjoys the rocking chair that is a little more his size. He found some new toys in the kitchen!

Recent Pictures of Thomas

Thomas is enjoying sitting in mom's chair, he is also enjoying some good food, playing on the floor and sitting is a rocking chair more his size. As usually Thomas is hamming it up for the camera.

I really haven't forgotten.

I really haven't forgotten to upload more pictures, but I am having technical difficulties with the photo software. I am going to post a few recent pictures of the boys here until I get the software figured out.
On the left Thomas has tackled Michael and on the right Michael is taking his revenge.

The boys are working really hard on figuring out this crawling thing. Although I am not looking forward to them be mobile, I think they will be happier when they are able to get around so they can get what they want.

They are getting to enjoy new foods and textures. So far some of their favorite finger foods are cooked peas and carrots, small pieces of bananas, avocados, grapes, and pasta. They are also getting much better at drinking from a cup.

Fighting Ear Infections

When we took the boys for their 9 month check up, they both had ear infections. After a month and a half and two rounds of antibiotics they still have ear infections. One of Michael's ears have cleared up, while both of Thomas' ears are still infected. So we are now on our third round of antibiotics and have another check up in 2 1/2 weeks. If they don't show marked improvement we might be going to see an ear, nose and throat doctor, which could possibly lead to tubes in their ears. We are hoping and praying that we don't have to go the route of tubes. We are hopeful that they will get over this ear infection and then be in the free and clear for the summer. We are very thankful that the boys cope well with ear infections. When we went for a check up on Friday we thought they would not have ear infections because they gave us no reason to think they weren't feeling well.

Other than than battling the ear infections, we are working on trying to crawl. I am putting them down on their tummies as much as possible and putting toys just out of their reach. Thomas is really trying to get those toys. Michael usually rolls around until he can get to something to play with.

We have been busy traveling to see grandparents and friends on the weekends and getting our flowers and garden planted. Our vegetable garden seems to be doing well. We will see how this continues since this is our first try at a vegetable garden.

I do have more pictures to put on the gallery, I hope to get this done this week.

Bruiser

Michael has earned the nickname bruiser this week. He earned it by taking a face first dive into a pile of toys and getting a couple of bruises on his forehead! I am sure they won't be his last bruises.

First Tooth

The mystery surrounding Michael's crabbiness this week has been solved. I thought he was teething, but the crabbiness could have been attributed to being spoiled and tired from a weekend trip to Omaha to see grandma and grandpa. Everything was made clear to me this morning when I looked into his mouth and saw that his first tooth had broken through his gums. I'm not sure that David believes me as he hasn't seen it yet, but you can definitely feel the tooth. Thomas has been in a better mood, so he is either coping better or not ready to cut a tooth yet. I looked in his mouth and did not see anything. I bet it won't be too long before he is following in Michael's footsteps.

Both of the boys are discovering their voices. Michael has learned how to make a gurgling noise, it is cute until he decides do this with food in his mouth, and then food starts running out his mouth! Thomas makes this laugh that is hard to explain, it is like 'he he' but coming from way back in his throat. They both go on and on about 'da da da da,' but I can't get them to say 'ma ma' yet.

Officially Kansans Again

On Friday afternoon David and I decided to brave the trip to the DMV to get our new driver license. So I gathered all the necessary documentations and away we went. The worse part of the whole trip was trying to find the place. Since we both had previous Kansas license that was not expired all they had to do was issue a replacement license. We didn't even need all the documents I had gathered. David is excited to be a Kansan again. I on the other hand hold mixed feelings (my true Nebraskan is coming out!).

We enjoyed a nice weekend. We took the boys to check out the new Bass Pro Shop in the area. They enjoyed looking around at all the animals and fish. We also prepared the for summer by getting them their first pair of sunglasses. Michael (top picture) is not sure what to think, while Thomas is loving them. We were also able to meet David's family in Manhattan and spend Sunday afternoon with them. We love being so close to our families.
You can also check out a few new pictures of the boys in the gallery!

More pictures

As promised I have uploaded more pictures to the website. We are all doing well. We are glad the weather has warmed up again. The boys are enjoying going for walks each evening after daddy gets home from work. I hope to soon get things ready to plant a small vegetable garden in our backyard. This could be interesting, as we have never planted a garden before, hopefully it will be a success.

Finally!!!

No we haven't forgotten to take plenty of pictures of the boys lately. We just forgot the correct passwords needed to upload pictures. Finally after some digging we were able to find the correct passwords and I have uploaded more pictures of the boys. Hopefully I will get some more uploaded early this week.

Nine Month Check Up

Well in the last week, we have been to see a doctor 4 times. We had to go to the urgent care center twice last weekend, due to respiratory viruses the boys have. We had to take Thomas into our doctor on Wednesday, again for the virus. Thursday was our 9 month check up. Besides RSV (a respiratory virus) and ear infections for both boys, they are doing well. Thomas weighed in at 15 lb 15 oz and 25 3/8 inches in length. Michael was a bit bigger, 16 lb 3.5 oz and 25 7/8 inches in length. They are still small for their age, but that is to be expected. They have mastered the art of sitting up. We have noticed that when the boys are trying to crawl that they end up moving themselves backwards instead of forwards. It won't be long and they will be mobile.

In between the trips to the doctor, runny noses and coughs I have been preparing to host Easter dinner. The one plus to the boys being sick is that they are sleeping much more and I am able to accomplish more. All is continuing to go well for David at the city. He is enjoying his work and the challenges it presents to him.

We wish everyone a Happy Easter!

The sound of laughter

The other night David and I set the boys on the floor and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner for the boys. As I was getting something from the pantry, we could hear the sound of laughter coming from the living room. This struck me as funny since both David and I were in the kitchen. So I peek around the wall to look at the boys and I see Thomas lightly hitting Michael on the head with a block. They both thought this was funny. After I showed David, he tried to get a picture of boys playing together, but we weren't quick enough, as the moment had passed. I think that is the first time that the boys have found each other and played together. They do play together when we set them together and put toys in front of them. I am just glad that we heard laughing, instead of crying, which I am sure we will hear plenty of.

Last week the weather was so beautiful that the boys and I were able to get out in the stroller for some walks. If the boys were lucky they got two walks, one with mom, and one with mom and dad in the evening. The boys are doing a much better job of sitting up and we are able to go out in the stroller with out our car seats. The boys like this better as it is easier for them to see and look around.

Thomas wants no more of just laying around on the floor. He would much rather be sitting up and playing. Michael too enjoys sitting up. I am still a little leery of leaving them sitting up, so I put a pillow behind their back, so if they fall they don't hit their head too hard. It took Michael longer to get the hang of rolling over, but now that he has it down (which he has for a while), look out. He is rolling all over the living room floor. Both of the boys are getting closer to crawling. Once they figure it out, I think they are just going to take off. They are so active. When they lay on their backs, they kick their legs and move their arms, like they are running away.

Let's roll!

Thomas and Michael are locked and loaded in their carseats and ready to go for a walk in their stroller. Michael is in the tan hat, you know it is Michael because his tongue is out! Thomas and Michael enjoyed a visit from their Aunt Danielle, lots of hugs, kisses and holding! They are ready to make a visit to Grandma and Grandpa Dillner's house this weekend!

The boys are also cheering for KU in the NCAA tournment, they are making their daddy so proud. Go Hawks!

March Madness

It's March Madness again and that can only mean one thing:
the Naismith Championship!

The Dillners would like to invite you to participate in the
6th Annual Naismith Championship! To accept this invitation
and join the group, click the link below (or cut and paste
the link into your browser's address field). You'll be asked
to enter the password before you can join. The group
password is included in this e-mail, but if it's not for
some reason, it is "ku".

As in years past, David Dillner, the Championship Chair has
elected to host this year's Naismith Championship on the CBS
Sportsline web site.

This year we want to once again encourage everyone to invite
at least one other person to play in the championship. The
more the merrier!

According to tradition, the winner will receive the coveted
Naismith Bobblehead Basketball Trophy.

Last year was the first year the Naismith Championship was
decided by the tiebreaker rule of the National
Championship's final score. Amanda Highland was only seven
points away from guessing the total National Championship
game score of 130. Congratulations to her victory!

2006 Top Five Scores:
Champ Amanda Highland - 72 (tiebreak)
Gina Chitty - 72
Kevin McKinney - 71
Scott McKinney - 71
Ron Shaver - 69

Previous Naismith Champions:
2006 - Amanda Highland
2005 - Kevin McKinney
2004 - Mike Weber
2003 - Gary Havercamp
2002 - Rex Lowe


Good Luck and as always, Go Jayhawks!

http://dillner.mayhem.sportsline.com/e

Our Group password is: ku

It is hard work!

Practicing sitting up and reaching for all our toys is hard work. Mom and dad put toys down in front of us and we can't quite reach them. It is like they want us to go and get them. They maybe wanting us to crawl, but to they realize what it will be like when we get mobile? It is such hard work that we get pooped out and crash wherever we are (like the middle of the living room floor). Michael even falls asleep with toys in his hands.

All in all we are doing very well. We like our new house. Mom and dad did a good job finding a new place to live. We also like that Aunt Jilinda, Uncle John and Cousin Dominic live so much closer. We just had them over for dinner on the weekend. We have also overheard mom and dad talking about seeing our grandparents soon!!

Connected again!!!

I think that we finally have the computer situation all taken care of. It seems that we have had computer/internet difficulties for the last couple of months, but that is all over with. We had to break down and buy a new computer. Needless to say, David is like a kid in a candy store with his new computer. I am just thrilled to have internet again. We have been with out a computer for atleast the last week. Give me a couple of more days to figure out the picture program and I will have new pictures uploaded. It should hopefully be a lot easier with the new computer.

We are all doing well. David is enjoying his new job. It is going to be a challenge for him, but that is a good thing. The boys are finally over their colds. They have the rolling over thing down. The minute you put Thomas on his back, he is rolling over to his tummy. Michael is capable of rolling over, he just prefers his back. So therefore I will put him on his tummy, so he will then roll to his back. They very much enjoy seeing the world from the sitting position, instead of the laying down position. We are working on sitting up on our own. They are getting much stronger. They can sit by themselves for a short time. I don't set them down and walk away, but that day will be coming soon. They are also enjoying eating baby food and cereal. We haven't found a food that they don't like yet. I am doing fine as well. Just working on getting things settled. We are doing pretty well with they unpacking. It is time to get stuff up on the walls and organize the basement. Organizing the basement will be the tough job, as that is all the stuff we don't know what to do with.

Back in Kansas!!!

Well we are moved into our new home. We were very fortunate to have lots of help over the weekend and we are mostly settled. We are down to the odds and ends unpacking, like hanging pictures, etc. The move went very smoothly. Boy am I glad that we moved last week, and not this week. They boys are adjusting well to the new house. They are fighting a cold, but that was to be expected with all the traveling and all the extra people around. David has started his new job and is enjoying it. Slowly but surely he is getting his office at City Hall organized. His phone is being put in this afternoon. Other than a cold that I am fighting, I am doing well. I love our new home. As we finish unpacking and getting settled, I will post new pictures of the boys on the website as well as pictures of the house.

I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!

Half Done

Well the move to Edgerton is about half completed. Yesterday the truck, loaded with all our belongings left Winchester and started for Edgerton. My dad come out to Winchester to help us load the truck and then fly back to Omaha with the boys and I. The boys and I are hanging out in Omaha until our belongings arrive in Egerton. David and his friend Justin are driving to Edgerton. They hit the road today and will probably arrive in Edgerton tomorrow. We have closed on our house and it is officially ours!

Double Fisting it.

Thomas just gave new meaning the the phrase 'double fisting it'. While he was upset and crying on the floor, he was trying to get both of his thumbs in his mouth to suck on. Needless to say this was not going to work, so he proceeded to get more upset, but once he was picked up by his daddy, he was happy as a lark. I think someone got spoiled while in the Midwest for the holidays.

The boys have managed to roll over a couple of times. They are able to go from the tummy to their back pretty easily. It is still a lot of work for them to get to their tummy from their back. They can get up on their side and even kick their leg over, but they get stuck trying to move that last shoulder out of the way.

Michael has decided that he is going to like rice cereal. I was not getting it warm enough for his taste buds. Once I figured out the right temperature, he was chowing it down like his brother. The boys have now moved on to eating peas for supper. I was not sure how the peas were going to go over, but they have been a hit.

David and I are keeping busy, trying to get the move coordinated and the house packed. I wish our stuff would magically pack itself. I suppose I should get some work done now while the boys are happy.

Big Changes

We are back from our doctors appointment. They boys continue to keep up with each other, when it comes to length and weight. Both of the boys we about 14 1/2 lbs, with 1 oz difference between their weights. Both boys are also around 24 1/2 inches long, with a quarter of an inch in difference. David was beginning to think that Michael, was bigger than Thomas, but he was wrong, Michael maybe a bit bigger, but not enough to tell a difference. Michael is working on the start on an ear infection. We are going to get him started on some antibiotics and get that taken care of. The doctor continues to be impressed with their growth and how well they are doing. They also got 3 shots apiece. Neither one of them cried during the first shot. Michael waited until his second poke, while Thomas waited until the final poke to cry. They settled down quickly after being held by mom or dad. We put them in their stroller and then took a quick walk to visit the NICU and our friends there. They NICU staff could not get over how big they were getting.

The boys are continuing to adjust to the lack of people being around, who want to hold and play with them. They have been a little on the fussy side and I think that is why. Thomas has really taken to eating rice cereal, Michael on the other hand is not so excited about it. He is making slower progress.

We are very excited and pleased to announce that we will be moving back to Kansas. David will be taking a position as the City Administrator of Edgerton, KS. Edgerton, Kansas, where in the world is that, you ask? Well Edgerton is a small city, about 1,600, 20 miles south of Olathe. We will be moving in early February and David will start his new position in the middle of the month. So while we were back in the Midwest for the holidays, we also spent some time house hunting. We found a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage and unfinished basement home in Edgerton. We engaged in some negations and came to an agreement with the sellers. The next few weeks will be very busy with packing and taking care of arrangements for the new house. We are so very excited to be moving closer to our family and many of our friends. We will only be about 3 1/2 hours from both sides of our families. That is so much better than half way across the county.

Home Sweet Home!

After a whirlwind of a holiday trip, we are finally home. Our trip home was wonderful. It was so nice to spend time with our friends and family. We did not manage to survive the trip without the boys getting sick. Michael had just a cold, but Thomas got an ear infection. Thomas had a couple of bad days, but after being on the medication for a couple of days he was feeling much better. The boys were so good. They went all the places we went, and did not complain too much. They traveled well in the air. On our return flight, I thought Michael had pooped his pants. Many of you saw the damage they can do to a onesie or an outfit with a poopy diaper, so I decided I had better change him. The airplane did not have a changing table in the restroom. Luckily the flight was not very crowded and no one was seated next to me, so I laid Michael out on the two seats, got all of my tools prepared, only to find out that he had tricked me, he was only farting!!! The boys are glad to be home and have life slow down a little bit. They are enjoying sleeping in their own bed.

While we were in the Midwest, we decided that it was time to start the boys on cereal, but we decided to wait until we got home. So last night we started the boys on cereal. They did pretty good. Michael had more on his bib than in his mouth. Hopefully they continue to do well.

We go back to the doctor on Friday!!! I can't wait to see how much weight they have gained. I can wait for the shots that they will probably be getting, but I guess that can't be avoided!

Hopefully soon we will be writing an update saying that the boys have rolled over. Thomas was soooo close this morning. He had his legs kicked over, now he needs to work on his shoulders.

Good to be home!

We are all enjoying being back in the midwest for a while. David and I are enjoying having extra help with the boys. There is always someone who is willing to hold a crying baby or change a poopy diaper!! The other day, David and I went to Walmart, together and alone!!! We were also enjoyed a date night!! The joy of built in babysitters.

The boys' first Christmas was very nice. They enjoyed mass on Christmas Eve. They tried to open presents but are a little too young. Unfortunately, Michael came down with a cold on Christmas Day. Christmas Day was a little rough, but he is feeling better today. Thomas has a slight cold, but feeling better as well.

The boys are doing well with the change of schedule and all the extra people who want to see them. We are wrapping up our visit in Omaha and will be heading to Beloit, KS on Thursday.

Professional Pilots All

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the airport, not a Michael or Thomas were to be found. For up in the air at 35,000 feet, the little babies flew trying their best to be discrete. Although their ears could not pop and the pressure was oh so strong, they managed themselves quit well to the gate.

Kansas City they came, where they first met their aunt (Jilinda). Tears filled her eyes, much to her disbelief, Michael was pooping and bags had to be gotten. Our ride was ready, as their aunt (Danielle) came to pick us up. Quickly gathering our things, we made for the door.

Up the road and to A-town, the boys finally got a whiff of quiet sleep. After meeting more friends, the boys again hit the road. Heading north to Nebraska, where they would see their Grandma and Grandpa's new abode.

Joyfully they arrived, after flying and driving so long. Now they are professionals, travelers all!

****
Good News! After some aggressive persuasion, Michael's monitor has been taken off. Too bad for the people who will have to tell them apart, especially their mother! The boys did excellent on the plane rides over to the Midwest and have finally caught up on their sleep. They have also settled into a holiday routine, whatever that is.

Tomorrow they will be baptized at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church at 10:30 am.

Getting Excited!

We are getting very excited for our trip home for the holidays!!! It is hard to believe that it is almost the middle of December. Time flies when you are having fun.

Last week Michael was a little bit fussy. He wasn't too bad, but bad enough to make me very grateful that the boys are generally very good babies. I guess I shouldn't complain. We decided that we thought Michael may have been teething. That was the only thing we could come up with, since we could tell that he was not sick. Thank goodness he is doing better this week.

It has been so much fun to watch the boys these past few weeks. One of them would start doing something, like grabbing at and swinging his arms at this hanging toys. The other one would then catch up in a couple of days. The boys do love to laugh and talk. We have decided that Michael is more like his father and Thomas more like his mother. Michael is more like David in the fact that he likes to be the center of our attention. If we leave the room for a few minutes then he will start to fuss until we come back in and start talking to him. When we start talking to him or pick him up Michael gets a big smile on his face because he got exactly what he wanted, our attention. Thomas on the other hand is more likely to entertain himself for a longer time with out us in the room. Thomas is definitely more patient, like his mother.

Many of you may be disappointed that I have not posted pictures in a while, but have no fear, I am doing that today! So please go check out the photo gallery!

A weekend alone

David is preparing to go out of town for the weekend and I am preparing for a weekend of just me and the boys. So it probably won't be just me and the boys, I have enlisted some help from a couple of my friends.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving at my godparents house about an hour from us. We have so many things to be thankful for this year. Starting off with our healthy boys and our wonderful friends and family.

Thomas and Michael are continuing to do well. They are not rolling over yet, but getting closer to it everyday. They are beginning to enjoy spending time on their tummies, working on getting strong. They are also big laughers. I will be changing them, or getting ready to feed them and they will just start laughing, for no apparent reason. They are both ticklish. I find it very easy to get them laughing. Both Thomas and Michael, also are big talkers.

A few of our favorite things.

Thomas and Michael have many favorite things they would like to share with all of you. We like it when mom and dad pat on our tummies. We like talking to mom, dad, and anyone who will listen. Heck we will talk to no one at all. We like to watch and listen to the purple phones that Aunt Jilinda gave us. We enjoy taking a seat in a bouncy seat or the swing. We like going for rides in the car, as long as we are moving, or the stroller. We also like to eat, which is evident by how big we are getting. I (being Michael) laugh really hard when mom tickles me under my chin. I also enjoy sucking on my fist. I (now being Thomas) love to suck on my thumb. Most importantly, we like our sleep! Lastly we like it when mom puts more pictures on the website for all of you to see (which she has done today).

The Poop Monster and Thumbsucker Extraordinare

We call Michael the Poop Monster, because when you hear the sound of him filling his pants, you all know the sounds I am talking about, you don't wait too long before going to change him. You give him just enough time to make sure he has finished pooping and then you go to change him. When you do change him you are afraid to discover where you will find poop. Will it be up his back, up the front or running down the legs? I think in one day he managed to poop through 3 onesies! Thomas does a much better job of containing his poop.

Thomas is the Thumbsucker Extraordianare! He has discovered the joy of sucking on his thumb. We hadn't been able to get the boys to take pacifiers for a while, instead they liked to suck on their fists. Thomas has discovered that he can get his thumb in this mouth and suck on that. I am torn about his thumb sucking. On one hand it is nice because he can pacify himself, if I am busy with Michael. On the other hand, I know from personal experience how hard it can be to stop sucking your thumb and effects it can have on your teeth. Michael has yet to discover that he can suck on his thumb, he is still sucking on his fist.

We did survive the shots. The afternoon and evening after the shots were a little crazy. I think I spent the majority of the afternoon holding one of the boys, while the other slept. I was glad when David got home. Once we got the boys to sleep they did okay, it was getting them settled down that was the difficult part. They were fine the next day.

They boys are still inconsistent when it comes to sleeping through the night. I would say that they have more nights that they sleep from 10:00 pm to 6:30 or 7:00, than nights when they wake up once. They were on a pretty good roll, until last night, when they woke up around midnight. I am loving the full nights sleep that I am getting, especially since my sinsus have been giving me trouble for the last week or so. David is probably not telling much of a difference, as he doesn't get up with the boys, since he can't do much for them.

On the Charts!!

We went fora visit to the doctor this morning. I was shocked at the boys weights. Thomas weighs 12 lbs 3 oz and is 23 inches tall, while Michael weighs 12 lbs and is 23 1/4 inches tall (no wonder their clothes don't fit them anymore!). Their weight and height is on the growth charts, granted they are still smaller than average for their age, but they are catching up. They put on about 3 pounds in the last month and a half. Needless to say the doctor was very pleased with their growth and everything else checked out fine. I was not expecting the boys to get another round of shots, but I was mistaken. The boys got 4 shots apiece. They cried a little, but were fine as soon as David or I held them. I have a feeling that the boys will be a little crabbier from these shots, because they are getting over a little head cold. So when we add the shots on to that, we could have a rough day or so. Luckily they are both taking a nap right now.

2 in a row!

For the past two nights the boys have slept from 10:00 pm to 6:30 am!!! Hurrah for sleep! Last week we moved the boys into the crib in their room. They have made that transition very well. They were used to sleeping in the crib since I had been putting them in there for nap time. During the last couple of weeks the boys have been sleeping for longer stretches, with a couple of nights were they had slept until 6:00 am. While they were in our room, they would wake up and I would wonder if they needed to eat or if they would go back to sleep. So I decided to move them, knowing that they would let me know if when they were hungry! I am very much enjoying the full nights of sleep!

David is continuing his job search for something closer to home. He has a couple of promising leads in the Kansas City area and a couple in the Denver metro. We are very excited for our trip home in December. Although we are excited at the thought of seeing all of our friends and family, we are a little overwhelmed at the thought of making the trip with the boys.

Four Months Old

It is hard to believe but Thomas and Michael are 4 months old today! Time flies when you are having fun!

Thomas and Michael's first Halloween was pretty uneventful. We had the boys dressed in Halloween outfits, but did not go for the costume route. They helped us answer the door to the few trick or treaters we had in our neighborhood. The evening ended with a bath!

I have added more pictures to the website. Some new pictures and some old ones that have been reloaded!

Details, Details, Details

We have nailed down a few details for our trip back home for the holidays. We will arrive in Kansas City on December 20th. We will head to Omaha first and be in Omaha until the 28th of December. We will head to Beloit on December 28th and remain there until we return to KC to fly home on January 6th. We have also decided that Thomas and Michael will be Baptised in Omaha, NE on December 23rd. We don't have a specific time yet, but that will be decided soon.

We return the doctor on November 9th, and we hope to get Michael off his monitor then. I am sure that the doctor will order another download of the info from his machine and then we will go from there. David and I are really hoping that it will get to come off then, as we don't want to have to travel home with the monitor.

One of the boys is starting to wake up, I gotta run! Have a Happy Halloween!

Truly Amazing

Unfortantely it was not as easy to recoup the photo gallery from the hacker as it was to save the rest of the website. I have had to reupload all the pictures. This task has been more difficult than I thought it would be, as I encountered many different road blocks. The good new is that I overcome all of those road blocks and now have the most recent pictures of the boys posted on the gallery. I will eventually get the older pictures of Thomas and Michael loaded, in the mean time enjoy the most recent pictures of Thomas and Michael.

In order to rebuild the photo gallery I had to wade through all the pictures of the boys. While I was looking at the pictures from when they were first born, I am truly amazed at how tiny they were and how far they have come. In their 4 mouth lifespan, they have been through so much and have come so far. David and I are truly blest to have these wonderful boys in our life.

All Smiles!!

While Grandma Dillner was out visiting us in September, the boys were just beginning to smile. We had to work really hard to get either of the boys to smile. While Grandpa Dale and Great Grandma Betty were visiting, Thomas and Michael's smile came easier, but we had to work for them. While Aunt Danielle was visiting, Michael smiled all the time when someone was talking to him. Now both of the boys are all smiles. All you have to do is talk to them, and they start beaming their toothless smile. They also enjoy talking to mom or dad and telling them all kinds of stories.

This weekend we took the boys to a local farmers market and picked out a pumpkin for Halloween. I think the pumpkin is bigger than both of the boys combined!

On Sunday at church, we had to make our first visit to the back of church. Although it was our first trip, I doubt it will be our last! Michael decided he wanted to be awake during mass this week. He was pretty good, finally he fell asleep at Communion time, or so I had thought. Shortly after we got back from Communion, he started screaming. I was able to hold off taking him to the back of church until we all sat down. As soon as people started sitting, we made a beeline to the back of church. Thomas on the other hand slept all through mass. I don't know why it is, but one baby is usually more awake or needs to be held during mass and I always seem to be sitting right next to that baby. David usually has the easy baby during mass, funny how that works!

Company

The Dillner household has been bustling lately with company from the Midwest. Early in October my dad and grandma came out to meet Thomas and Michael for a long weekend. We enjoyed having them in town. It was so great to see family. It was tough having to see them go back to the Midwest. Grandpa Dale enjoyed meeting his grandsons. He also enjoyed holding them, talking to them and cuddling with the boys. I tried, but I was unable to get grandpa to change any diapers (surprise, surprise!) Thomas and Michael do enjoy the Husker stuffed toys that grandpa brought for them. Great Grandma Betty also enjoyed meeting Thomas and Michael.

Shortly after Grandpa Dale and Great Grandma Betty left, Aunt Danielle came for a long weekend. Aunt Danielle has held the boys constantly while she has been visiting. Hopefully the boys can handle not being held all the time, when she leaves. She has also been a great help with doing dishes after meals.

In other news. Thomas and Micheal are beginning to sleep for longer times at night. They typically sleep for a 5 to 5.5 hour stretch, then another 4 hour stretch after being fed. I am enjoying this greatly. They are no longer waking up just as I am ready to go to sleep. I love being able to hit the pillow with out having to feed them. I also enjoy only being woken up once during the night.

We have booked our flights to come home for Christmas. We will be in the Midwest from December 20-January 6. We have not yet determined when we will be in Beloit and when we will be in Omaha, but we will soon. Mark your calanders so you can meet Thomas and Michael. We are also planning on having the boys Baptised while we are at home. We are still nailing down the details for that. Even though I an nervous about the thought of flying with the twins, I can't wait to get back home so all of our friends and family can meet Thomas and Micheal. I know that David is excited as well.

As soon as David fixes the photo gallery, I will have more pictures to upload.

hacked!

As many of you may already have guessed, Jenny, the twins and I have joined a Turkish Communist faction. Ok, in all seriousness our website that you all count on for news about the Dillners was hacked! Fortunately, we sustained minor damage to the site and were able to quickly bring it up to functional operations. I regret to say, however, that the gallery is currently closed due to fact that I need to reconstruct a new homepage for it. In the meantime, you will have to rely on our written record of the twins and our adventures.

All is well in the House of Dillner. The twins have been growing and doing what babies do best. They have been sustaining a routine of eating, sleeping and pooping. The good thing is that they have begun to sleep for five consecutive hours at a time. Jenny is thrilled because she gets to get a little more shut eye, which is very valuable for new mothers. I would update you on even more stuff, but there is not a lot going on around these parts and I am very tired.

Good night!

Not Yet

This week, we have been awaiting a call from the doctor with the results of the information downloaded from Michael's monitor, to determine if he is able to come off of it. Well this afternoon I heard from the doctor and he wants Michael to stay on it for a while yet. He said that Michael's breathing patterns are maturing, but are not mature enough yet. We will look at the information again in another 4-8 weeks. Needless to say we were very disappointed to hear this, but I guess we can wait awhile longer yet.

Over the weekend, we had some tense moments in the house. You see Nebraska was playing Kansas in football. Although we were unable to watch the game, we kept watching the scoring updates during different football games. It was a close call, but Nebraska won in overtime. The Big Red reign supreme again! David and I are both trying to persuade the boys to become fans of our favorite team. Time will tell who will be a fan of who.

Lastly, I uploaded a few more pictures on to the photo gallery. I hope you enjoy!

The Joy of Motherhood!

Yesterday afternoon I was feeding Michael, and he decided to spit up all over my shirt, so I had to put on my second shirt for the day. A while later during his next feeding Michael spit up again, this time all over my shorts (had to change them too). I was beginning to think that Michael was out to get me that day, when I was changing him and he peed on me and the blanket, this time I only had to change my socks. I am pretty quick at getting the dirty diaper off and wiping the behind, I get sprayed upon when I go back in to put desitin on the bottom. I guess it just wasn't Michael who was out to get me, later in the evening Thomas joined it. He had a dirty diaper that went everywhere, including on my shirt (time for shirt number 3 of the day!). Ahh the joys of motherhood! Have no fear today has been a much better day, no extra changes of clothes so far!

We really enjoyed the time that David's mom was able to spend with us. I am struggling getting used to being by myself again during the day. It was so wonderful to have another adult to talk to during the day, not to mention another person to change diapers and hold the boys.

We are now getting ready for Grandpa Dale and Great Grandma Betty to visit. They will be arriving on Friday. I know they are very anxious to meet Thomas and Michael.