Finally; an Update!

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OK… this update is way overdue, but life has been busy.  There’s a lot to tell since the last update.  Sam and Max are always on the go.  They aren’t walking on their own yet, but are soooo close.  Sam has repeatedly tried to stand on his own, and Max has done the same in addition to taking a few steps.  Of course, they continue to walk along couches, tables, and anything else that will support their weight.  There’s no doubt that they’re growing because we have to make sure everything is pushed back further and further on the tables.  If it’s in reach, little hands will find it.  Also, they love walking while pushing things:  push-toys, strollers, chairs… Sam even tries to push me!  Oh, and there’s another trick they’ve learned – climbing.  They climb (or try to climb) everything.  This is nerve-racking to say the least.  A combination of fearlessness and little to no sense of balance is just an accident waiting to happen.  Surprisingly, we haven’t had that many spills, and hopefully it will get better as they practice more (insert false hope here).  Now add the ability to open doors and drawers, and you have the recipe for some really interesting times.  I’m amazed that Laura can keep up with them all day.  In addition to all this, there’s a lot of chatter going on.  The only real words we get are, “Dada”, “Momma” (which usually comes out “Yaya”), “bye-bye”, and “ball”.  But in their own language, they often have extended conversations in which they laugh, yell, and scream.  We just hope they’re not plotting something that’s too destructive!

When they’re not trying to walk or climb, they’re riding.  They are certainly “Born to be Wild!” They inherited a push car from their cousins that they absolutely love!  They love it so much, that fights would often occur resulting in a toddler carjacking.  Rather than see someone get injured, we found an identical car online, so now it’s like the Indianapolis Speedway around here.  I mean, they are fast!  Mix that with a low regard for safety and driving rules and you get some wicked collisions.  And if we let them outside on their cars, Sam immediately heads for the horizon.  Don’t try to hold him back; he needs to explore.  One day he followed the sidewalk (with his Mimi close behind) all the way up to the end of the street.  That’s no small feat with stubby little Sam legs!  They love to ride so much that we’re beginning to think that is the reason they’re not walking yet.  Why should they walk when they can ride?  I worry that they look at me and think, “Dad gets around on wheels, why can’t we?” We have actually limited their riding time to encourage walking; I’m sure they will eventually walk in their own time.  Anyway, if you want to see them in action, visit the Family Videos page and watch the video entitled “On the Go with Sam and Max.”

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Now that it’s so hot, we have been making family outings to the neighborhood pool on almost a daily basis.  Sometimes we go by ourselves, but mostly with the Thomas family which always makes it more fun and a lot noisier.  Sam didn’t get to go swimming last year because he was still in lockdown mode prior to his operation, so he had some catching up to do.  From the first time he got in he loved it.  As for Max, I wouldn’t say he loves it, but I’d say he likes it a lot better than last year.  Both boys bob up and down in their floaties while their cousins scream, swim, and splash around them.  We also dunk them under water occasionally, so they’ll get used to it.  It’s all a good time.  When the boys have had enough of being in the pool, they’re perfectly happy playing with buckets of water and pool toys on the deck.  Also, they love eating popsicles for a summertime treat to help keep cool and to soothe the discomfort of their incoming teeth.

Speaking of eating, Sam and Max continue to pack in the calories.  They eat just about anything, anywhere, anytime.  They are now both on regular table food, and even if it’s not their official feeding time, if they sense food, they will come crawling up with mouths open, just like little puppies.  If you eat at our house, be sure to take a bigger helping than usual because, more than likely, you’ll need to share some with the eating machines that we call Sam and Max.

A quick health update:  Everyone’s ear infections have cleared up, although Sam’s lasted a little longer than Max’s.  Other than that, Sam is doing great!  We keep saying that you would never know anything had ever been wrong with him.  He had his six month follow-up this month and got an A-plus for health.  That said, I must report that he got a D-minus for behavior.  Listen, I can understand him holding the entire medical profession responsible for the pain and general indignity that he had to put up with for the first year or so of his life, but that doesn’t excuse ripping the stethoscope from his cardiologist’s neck and proceeding to slap him around him with it!  Dr. V. is one of the nicest, most gentle people I know, and he would never do anything to purposely hurt Sam.  He never pokes or prods him, and the most Sam has to endure is maybe the cold gel used for an ultrasound, but Sam wants none of it.  Needless to say, they couldn’t get a blood pressure reading on him, so he’s still taking medication for that.  Our pediatrician, Dr. Jina, recommended getting a video called “Elmo Visits the Doctor” to teach Sam to be calmer.  Yeah… I’m afraid that in Sam’s World, not only would the doctor get a beat-down, but so would Elmo for even suggesting he visit the doctor.

Well, I think that’s it for now.  I honestly can’t wait until I wake up and see them every morning to see what they will do next.  We love watching them and playing with them, and we just can’t imagine what our lives would be without them.  They make our day every day!  Until next time…