Party Animal

The boy has a beautiful woman doting on him and he feels THAT is the time for a nap?!?
Happy new year!

Morning safari

Up at the crack of dawn, Pascal is already in the jungle watching the east African fingeraffe.
When asked about what other animals he's been observing he replied, "SSSSHHHHHHHH! You'll scare off the big game!"

The old man and his coffee.

When asked what his day held for him, Louis' reply was "What? Let me finish my coffee before you ask me the hard hitting questions!"

Christmas 2011

The families have all come to town. I'm not going to pretend that it's for us, the parents. And I know it's not really for Xmas because no one has praised Jesus ' birth . Not even once. It was to hang with the babies. It's been fantastic! 

The family traditions have continued as well. We woke up at midnight to open presents and goof around. Then for the feast! 

The menu:

Roast goose

Mashed potatoes with gravy

Glazed carrots

Bread stuffing

Sausage and apple stuffing

Sweet peas

Pecan pie

Buche de Noel - Yule log cake with meringue and chocolate mushrooms with dark chocolate mousse bark and marzipan leaves and berries. 

Enough wine to go around twice! 

It was all amazing!
But no one really cared. There were babies in the house and everything takes second fiddle.

GP and Pascal

Mamie with Pascal and Nonna feeding Louis

Buche de Noel

Mamie Nonna and Louis... Drinking!?!?

 Mamie, Louis, Pascal and GP

No, that's not Pascal on the cutting board we promise!

Abba and Louis... drinking.

GP, Mamie, Kati, Uncle Dustin, Nonna, Abba, Auntie Shawn
Mamma, Pascal, Papa and Louis

A great first Christmas with the families!

Merry Christmas and Happy Channukah to you all!

These little packages were found under our tree. And the Coz is doing his best to protect them.

Good boy Cosmo!

Uncle Dustin and aunt Kati

Xmas brings family from near and far. Lina's brother and girlfriend flew in from Switzerland a few days ago. Grandpa Larry came in yesterday. Auntie Shawn comes in tomorrow and the Furst grandparents the next day. Can't wait to have everyone here. Yes there will be a group photo. Count on it!

Three months!!

Another photo shoot this morning to commemorate Pascal and Louis' three month birthday. I can't believe how quickly they are changing these days -- smiling, cooing, sitting with help, grabbing things. I also can't believe how my love for these buggers grows with every day. 

PEPS

We had our second PEPS meeting on Tuesday night. PEPS is a Seattle-based organization -- Program for Early Parental Support -- that brings together new parents in the same geography. There are eight of us families total from our neighborhood with babies born in September and October. And, there is even another couple with twins! In this photo they are laying youngest to oldest from left to right -- Pascal and Louis are the oldest of the bunch on the far right.

Cozy family under the Christmas tree

Not a great photo, but can't you just feel the love? Pascal thinks Cosmo makes an excellent foot rest.

Thanksgiving weekend random shots

This is how we started off the weekend, like we start every day in the Gefurstamiller household. I do the first feeding of the day (well, the first feeding in daylight) in the kitchen and then entertain the boys and act like a crazy person for an hour or so. On this particular morning we did ab out 20 rounds of itsy bitsy spider (their current favorite) followed by a dozen rudolph the red-nosed reindeers, and then many many many silent nights to fall asleep to.

The Thanksgiving table. We had our friends Evan and Jessica and their son Oscar over so it was five adults and three babies total. We have never had such an intimate Thanksgiving holiday but I have to say it was one of my favorites -- incredible gourmet food, lots of wine, and card playing into the evening. 

Jessica and Oscar sitting at the table. 

A post-Thanksgiving walk at Seward Park near our house. 

We wanted to go on our first cross-country ski adventure all weekend but just weren't able to make it happen. Instead, we made sure we are all geared up for the snow this season. Marc bought a new set of skis and here is Louis showing off his new fleece hat. 

Roughing it in the City

Friday night after a long walk, some shopping and a quick bite we found ourselves parked halfway on the sidewalk and halfway in a driveway with the flashers on and the boys being fed. They kind of melted down in the restaurant and we had to leave in a hurry. Even the car couldn't calm them. So their we were walking up and down the party street of Ballard burping and rocking our kids back to a calm state.

Here's the picture. Louis is the one in the bear suit. I'm the other guy.

Friday photoshoot

I took advantage of both boys being alert and happy -- which is rare -- to do a Friday afternoon photoshoot. Note the beautiful quilt in the background is one of two that our dear friend Ann Grodnik made for them.

Distinguishing features

One of the great things about being the parent of twins is appreciating just how different two babies at this age can be. Here Louis is sleeping in his carseat after eating (on the kitchen counter, where I feed them every morning). He has the most beautiful, expressive hands that always want to be free and always are splayed out in different ways. We call him the escape artist because he breaks them free of his swaddle every night and this morning even had one coming out of the neck of his pyjamas. 

A little embarrassing... I need to cut his nails!

We have watched Pascal go from skinny six pounder with skin hanging off his knees to a hefty 12 pounds at two months. Doubling his weight also comes with dimples and folds all over his body and the cutest little thighs I've ever seen. These photos don't really do them justice.

Two months!

Pascal and Louis turned two months on Tuesday, celebrating with an all night party that kept everyone awake. Luckily they're cute! (Pascal in stripes, Louis in white.)