Camping with The Mellanders

Last week the Mellander family went on their first ever beach vacation. We spent a weekend in Cape May, NJ, renting a house with Grandma & Grandpa and Uncle Josh & Aunt Jen.

The trip was great. In addition to almost daily trips to the beach, we visited the Cape May County Zoo, (which was FREE and fantastic), the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ, a nature center where the boys got to hold starfish, turtles and more and watched the sunset from Sunset Beach.

L loved standing in the Ocean but N was not a fan. In fact, he would often yell at the waves and cry when one of us would wade into the water. They both loved playing in the sand, especially being buried in it.

It was a great trip and a great first family vacation. Enjoy the photos below and more here.

The boys turn 2 today. Happy Birthday!

It’s really hard to believe it’s been two years already, and at the same time, it’s hard to remember them not being in our lives. While being parents of twins is not easy, we are really blessed. The boys are such sweet, kind, smart and fun kids. It’s amazing to watch them grow up, to see them learn new things, to hear them say new words, and to watch how they interact with each other. It’s truly rewarding.

Since we are having a family get together for their birthday on Saturday, we decided we would take them to Chuck E. Cheese tonight, just as something special to do. They are having a birthday party at day care however, and Erin made an amazing looking Go! Diego, Go! cake.

We have long feared this day. The day that the control was ripped from our hands. The day the ability to put the kids in their cribs and know that they would stay put, was stolen from us. The day they learned how to climb out of their cribs!

It happened two weeks ago. The boys were napping (if you call sitting in their cribs talking and laughing napping). Mommy was upstairs in our bedroom and I was downstairs installing our new cook top. I suddenly hear Erin say from upstairs “Did Daddy let you out?”. I instantly knew what that meant and quickly yelled “No!”. But there was L, standing in the hallway and looking very proud of himself. Guess the fall from hopping over the railing didn’t bother him.

That night we started keeping his crib railing in the lower position, figuring if he was gonna try it again, we’d at least make the drop lower. He didn’t do it that night, but did do it two more times during naps in the next few days.

We were not expecting this to start so soon. It was really nerve racking the first few days. We were both listening that monitor intently again..something we hadn’t done in a year. I don’t think either of us slept very well.

He hasn’t done it since that first weekend, but we decided to go ahead and purchase a set of “big boy beds”. They are arriving tomorrow, but we don’t plan on setting them up right away. Moving them into beds is not something we are looking forward to, since we figure it will mean them getting out of their beds constantly. Should be fun.

I am a mother of twin boys, L and N. There are some days I love it and some days I find it absolutely exhausting. Right now, L is going through the terrible two’s (even though he is only 21 months). His favorite words are “mine” and “no”. He has begun to throw these long temper tantrums that often end up with him hitting one or more of us. The hardest part is that you never know what is going to cause them or why they even start. It could be the most simple thing and away we go… When Luke is not throwing a tantrum, he is the sweetest boy you could know. He loves to give hugs and loves to talk. He absolutely adores trains (choo, choos) and always makes sure that his brother Nick has been taken care of. L has definitely become the dominant of the two, which surprises me. I always thought it would be the other way around. I really think that L receiving Physical Therapy when he was a baby helped him become this confidant kid.

N is my shy one. He always makes sure that he surveys the room before he is willing to walk into it. He thinks he is absolutely hilarious and will let you know it. He loves to laugh and he cannot get enough of reading. He loves to sit with a book and point out pictures of the things he knows. N isn’t always quick to give you a hug, but has this way of surprising you with one when you least expect it. N does not speak very much and is currently receiving speech. I think it is going to be terrific for him and I look forward to seeing his progress. We are trying to do a lot more sign language with him. He knows more and uses it quite often. (Especially to ask for more cereal and milk-4 bowls!)

As a parent, you worry that your children will have limitations or be incapable of keeping up with those around them. It is scary when you see your child falling behind. I have the added bonus of having two at the same time and get to see first hand what one can do and what one can’t do. I just want to say that if there are services available to you and they are free, take advantage of them. Early Intervention is a great program and it is helping my children more than I can ever say. It does not show weakness to get your child the help that they need. The earlier the better. I know it is scary, believe me, I know that. But I think the key is not to let your fears impact the lives of your children. Their needs should come before your fears.