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!!