Evie and Zevon

Evie loves holding her little brothers. Usually she asks to hold them when we've finally got them asleep, but when she does get to hold a brother she's very good.

Our First Week Without Grandmas

Evie and her next door friend Quinn


I am happy to report that we are finding our way as a family of five. As I've said many times we haven't made it this far alone. We've been surrounded by help. We've needed it too.

Hooray dinner!


Twice this week Evie Lu has been taken out for awesome playtime. Her Aunt Kaitlin and our friend Laura stole her for a day at the park and pizza. This was followed by a full day with our next door neighbors and their daughter Quinn.

A good looking trio


Kaia has noticed that parents of twins tend to look much younger as their children get farther away from infancy. I'm hoping this holds true for us.

Guthrie catches some z's

Just A Little Crazy

Say, did you hear the one about the twins who let their parents sleep?


Kaia and I are exhausted. It reminds me of when I was 25 and I asked my dad why my hair hadn't started to turn gray like his did at the same age. He responded, "Son by the time I was 25, you and your sister were giving me gray hair." As wonderful as Guthrie and Zevon are, they aren't all that great in the sleep department. They take turns on who will sleep through the night and who wants to party. (It works great for them.) The last few days with no Grandma help have really been a test of our sanity.
To compound the getting rest issue we are going with cloth diapers. They are more work, but worth it when you figure our boys go through nearly 170 diapers a week. I really like them. Between our cloth diapers hanging on a line and our neighbor's chickens, the street almost feels like we're in the country.

The latest in backyard decorating

One Month Check-up

That's a whole lot of cute


Zevon and Guthrie had their one month check-up today and we were thrilled with what we heard. Zevon now weighs 9lbs 15oz which puts him in the 50-75th percentile and he is 21 3/4 inches long, also placing him in the 50-75th percentile. Guthrie is now 9lbs 3oz and 21 1/4 inches long which puts him on the 25-50th percentile. Our new doc is amazed with how they are growing and we are too.

Yep, We Think We're Cute

Twins holding our twins


There have been several parents of multiples who have helped us greatly. Karen my co-worker is one of those. She has been an amazing resource (and sanity saver) for Kaia and I as we prepared for the arrival of Gus and Z. So it was a special treat when she dropped by with a meal for us and her family of an older son and younger twin girls came to see our family. The fact that Karen's twins have survived to age six gives me hope for survival!

Grandma Rhonda!

Guthrie gets his turn in Grandma's arms


My mom came into town on Saturday and she got right down to getting some serious love from her West Coast grandchildren. We've been anxiously awaiting her arrival and we didn't even let record breaking heat diminish our good times. It is so good to have her here!

One Month Old!

Wait, what were we looking at?


Guthrie and Zevon are a month old today! I can't believe how fast it has gone. (It doesn't help that Kaia and I can't remember most of the last month.) We will have their one month check up on Friday the 20th and it will be good to see what their updated stats are now.
The picture below is a recreation of how I held them on their birthday. I'm hoping they'll let me do this for a while.

Deja vu all over again

Thank You!

On June 24th Evie's Grandma Bev pulled into our driveway to be our helping hands as we prepared for the arrival of Zevon and Guthrie and this morning she drove away to head home. We would not have survived if not for all of her help.
Your grandchildren can't wait to see you again, Grandma Bev! We all love you!

Four Weeks Old

They don't do much yet, but hey Gus and Z are only four weeks old. Here is a little video peek at the Gents.

What's In A Name

"Hey Zevon, there's a Grandma up there!"
"I know man, she's awesome."


Their Uncle Jody admitted that he thought I was kidding when I first told him their names, but Kaia and I hope that Zevon Thomas and Guthrie Clayton live up to their big names.
Zevon Thomas was a name that we had considered before we knew Evangeline was a girl. Warren Zevon is one of my favorite songwriters and once while discussing names Kaia said Zevon had a nice ring to it. In Hebrew the name means "light of God" and he has definitely been a light for us so far.
His middle name is in honor of his Grandfather Wayne Thomas and his Great Grandfather Thomas.

"Guthrie, the sister has us again!"
"Stay real still man. Sudden moves spook her."


Guthrie's name came as we were considering names that would fit with a brother named Zevon. Woody Guthrie was one of the most influential songwriters and political activists in history. (In my opinion, without Woody Guthrie's influence you wouldn't have Bob Dylan and without Dylan we would all be poorer.) Guthrie means, "a windy place" and from birth Guthrie has been the more vocal of our boys.
Guthrie's middle name is my middle name and my middle name is also my father's. I like to say that Guthrie and Zevon are named for three of my favorite songwriters, Warren Zevon, Woody Guthrie, and Ralph Clayton Sappington. Zevon also is named for one of the nicest and most honorable men you'll ever meet, Wayne Thomas Torgerson.

My hope for my boys is that they are as fiercely independent, fearless, honest, creative, and compassionate as their namesakes.

Dad, in the family band I get to sing lead and take all the solos.

Three Weeks Old

Guthrie


I see such a difference between the faces you see here and the boys we met July 15. So what has changed? In the last week we started cloth diapers, watched our boys fly past their birth weights, and got some quality Grandpa Wayne time. We are really seeing personalities emerge and not just with Zevon and Guthrie.
Kaia and I have found this to be a very different experience than our first weeks with Evangeline. It seemed then that we had all day just to stare at our daughter. This time around we feel like we are racing the clock. Kaitlin compared our life these days to the second season of LOST when it was all about pushing a button every 108 minutes. To say we are exhausted is an understatement and I have no idea how we would manage without Grandma Bev being in the house. In fact the primary reason that Evie Lu hasn't completely felt abandoned is the time Bev, Wayne, and Cam have given.

Zevon

You Write The Caption!

We haven't played this game with Zevon and Gus yet, so I thought this might be a good one. We've had a awesomely busy couple of days. The whole family made it to church for the first time and we got to hear a great sermon from our friend Ken. Kaia continues to amaze me with her tenacity.
Overall we are far more adventurous with this time around. I think Kaia and I were so scared of breaking Evie Lu that we didn't do much of anything. Now we are really up for most anything. Whew!

Belly Time

You can do it Zevon!


Even at just two weeks old, we are seeing major differences between Guthrie and Zevon. Zevon is more prone to spitting up like Evangeline was as a baby. Guthrie seems to get worked up more easily than his brother. They take turns being the fussy one overnight, so that is a wash. All in all Zevon at this point is the more laid back twin. He takes all sorts of annoyances in stride.

Guthrie is not a fan of belly time


The best example of the difference between their temperaments was last week when they each had to get a heel stick. Guthrie started screaming before the nurse even touched him. He screamed for a solid ten minutes until the nurse left the room and I could finally calm him. Zevon on the other hand felt the poke that started blood flowing from his heel, grimaced a bit, and gave me a look that said, "I'm not a fan of that." He was quiet for the entire time the nurse was taking blood. I know we are working with a small sample size, but it is interesting to imagine how our boys will be as they grow.

The watchful eyes of big sister

Your Next Action Stars

Hey Zevon, there is something behind my neck I want to give you.


Do you smell what the Guthrie is cooking?


And I flip you!


Hey! Feet!?! I called no feet!


You may have won this time, but I will be baaaaack!

Grandpa Wayne Arrives!

Okay Grandpa, smile because I'm the first and your favorite.


Grandpa Wayne arrived today to great fanfare and excitement. We weren't sure if he would be able to make the trip, but we are all so glad he did. Evie especially is glad to have someone new who will play games and chase her around.

Grandsons are alright


We got some great news today as Guthrie and Zevon have both passed their birth weights and received glowing marks for their progress. (Kaia is doing a great job too!)

Put to work

Updated Stats

Enjoying the summer


Zevon and Guthrie had their one week check in yesterday and we are thrilled with what we heard. Zevon has almost returned to his birth weight and has grown 3/4 of an inch. Guthrie is within 4oz of his birth weight and is up 1/2 an inch. After watching Evie Lu grow and hear about our child being in the 90th percentile for weight and height it is wild to hear our new doc be excited about Gus and Zevon making it into the 10th percentile. They are growing big and strong and soon we hope to be done with the overnight feedings every 2-3 hours.

We also learned that Zevon and Guthrie are not identical. After a week with them I would have been willing to bet that they were fraternal. There are just too many differences for them to be identical. I think this makes for an even more exciting adventure as we'll have two very different sons.

Staying Close

A kiss for my brother


Yesterday Kaia peeked in to check on Gus and Zevon as they were sleeping in the bassinet in the living room. As she looked down the picture above is what she saw; Guthrie giving Zevon a kiss on the nose. There is a slight valley in the middle of the bassinet and as they wiggled The Gents found themselves face to face.

One Week Old

Sitting in the eye of the hurricane


I know that I've been present and awake for the last week, but I honestly could not tell you where the time has gone. We are in a constant loop of changing, feeding, sleeping, Evie entertaining, and sanity maintaining. Somehow in the midst of all of that a week flew by.

Guthrie sacked out


The Gents have their first pediatrician appointment tomorrow and Kaia and I are excited to see how they've grown. When we left the hospital Zevon and Guthrie were 1oz away from falling below the 10% weight loss line. (You do not want to fall below that line.) They've been eating very well, so we are hopeful they've at least gained back what they've lost.

Zevon snoozing

Twice As Many Cuddles

Kaitlin meets her nephews


It has been an exhausting, but amazing couple of days at home. Thank goodness for Grandma Bev and all the help we've been getting from wonderful friends like Cam and Erik.

Too Sweet

Heading Home

Do three car seats really fit?


After three days in the hospital, we were released into the world. Is the world ready for us? Are we ready for the world? Evangeline came with Grandma Bev, but was insistent on leaving with us. I've never been a more careful driver than I was on the short trip home.

The Gentlemen at home


We've settled into a pattern of Zevon and Guthrie eating every couple of hours during the day and every three hours at night. I had forgotten the newborn routine, but it has come back in a rush. Thankfully the boys are super relaxed and are treating us very well.

A proud Grandma


My first reflection as a father of twins is that I'm amazed how they can be sleeping inches from each other and they don't wake the other up. Guthrie was the loud one last night and Zevon was sleeping like a log. Amazing.

Sleeping arrangements . . . for now