What you've all been waiting for...

Some pictures. We've had calls from both grandmothers wondering about updates. Don't worry. We are still here. Lily and Elsa have not been sold to the gypsies. We've been spending our free time babyproofing. We now have exactly one room that has been babyproofed. Several more to go.


So first, an advertisment. Entertainment center shown above, free to good home. 16 sharp corners and open storage. Not twin proof. We fear electrocution and lost eyeballs. Stereo and tv not included. Also giving away giant cd tower, unstable and wobbly. Not for learning how to stand up.


And here's the stars of this page looking sweet and cuddly. (Elsa left, Lily right)


Seconds later, baby wrestling begins. Have I mentioned they are getting really good with their hands? They spend a lot of time exploring each other's eyes, ears and noses. In general they don't seem to mind, except for the really sharp ear tugging.




Time lapsed photo of Lily's new trick. She can pick up a ball with one hand. Very smooth. She has also figured out how to turn the mobile in her crib off and on.


Here is Elsa sitting up. They can both sit up for about 5 seconds unassisted. Then, they topple over.


Still not crawling yet. (Thank Goodness, I'm in no hurry to chase after twins). But, here is Lily "flying" with her dad.


And Elsa "standing" with her mom.


And finally, one of mommy's tricks. Here's how I feed my twinfants. Mark does this, too, but he refuses to be photographed wearing the giant kitty pillow. He does not consider it very manly.

Fantasy baseball

Yesterday Mark got to live a dream: all three of his women at the ballpark. This is roughly comparable to my dad getting mom and me out on the fishing boat. Its a big deal. Mark's been preparing to introduce the girls to baseball since before they were born. His first purchase for the in-utero twins was a set of green and yellow sleepers. We broke them out for the first game: A's v Angels. We won!

The girls were troopers as per usual. They seem to like getting out and about.


In the stadium, Elsa is wearing green. Lily is wearing yellow.


Mark and the mini-fans (Lily-L, Elsa-R). We bought them little baseball caps. Still a bit big.



Elsa showing off her "Go A's" onsie. Mark did the lettering.


Lily and her too big hat. The nice part of having a too big hat is that it covers the ears.


Elsa back in her sleeper. The weather kept changing from hot to cold.


Finally, our attempt at a self portrait.

More natural

The last picture of Mark in a suit and tie disturbs the Berkeley crowd. They didn't recognize him without his trademark baseball cap and grey hoodie. So, I thought I'd add another post to bump that "scary" picture down. Besides, the pictures have been too posed and formal the past couple weeks.

Here's the Panning girls keeping it real. Today, they went on a stroller walk with the twins club and got to hang out with the big kids. But, I forgot to bring my camera. So, these photos are from hanging out at home this afternoon.


Lily and her sweet little grin.


Elsa as my new photo assistant. They've got a thing for munching on straps this week.


Lily looking a little surprised.


Lily and Elsa doing their best Beavis and Butthead impersonation. When they play on the floor, their pants fall down. It makes their legs look really short.

On the weekend agenda, their first faculty dinner party tomorrow. Quickly picture the girls at a wine and cheese party. And Sunday, Mark is dying to bring them to their first A's game. Play ball.

Trip to Indiana: Part 2

Back to writing about our trip. I forgot to mention that the babies were amazing travellers. We had a 4 hour flight there and back, put about 500 miles on our rental car and had lots of activities. We weren't sure how our daughters would handle everything. We keep them on a very structured routine at home. Plus, they aren't used to being around people other than mom and dad. Well . . . they sure showed us! They exceeded our expectations. They were so good on the airplane that they got compliments from the flight crew. All the throngs of adoring friends and relatives did not seem to phase them. And despite their crazy schedule, they slept better on vacation than they normally do at home! (crossing my fingers, they are STILL sleeping well).

I am so happy the girls got to spend time with their extended family. It is very good for them to be spoiled on occasion. Being a twin involves a lot of waiting, sharing and patience. Mom and dad can't always get to you right away. But, while we were back in Indiana, the girls got to live the singleton life. They got individual feedings, were picked up as soon as they cried and got lots of extra cuddling and attention.

Just wanted to share a few more pictures.



Here is Elsa with her G-Grandma Panning. G-Grandma is 94 this year. She stayed on in Columbus after the Baptism. G-Grandma has a soft place in my heart. I will never forget that she offered me her wedding dress the very day I met her! Sadly, we don't see her very often because she lives in NW Ohio. We were very excited to get some extra visiting time with her. She really seemed to enjoy the babies. Plus, I always enjoy hearing her stories of living on the farm. While in Columbus, we got to spend some time with Mark's brother's crew, old friends Brian, Clint, and Jessica and Mark's second mother Teresa.

Our visit in Northwest Indiana was a little more fast-paced. We had many relatives and friends eager to meet the babies. G-Grandma and Grandpa got to see them every day. Plus there were many family parties My Aunt Cathy flew in from Florida, so there was much to celebrate. While we were home, we took the girls to a Bailey Homestead out at the dunes. We went on a leisurely hike and the girls liked the animals at the farm.



We also took the girls to meet their Great-Great-Great Aunt Julie at the Saint Anthony home. (Yes, that is 3 "Greats" in a row). Julie is the sister of my Great-Grandfather Kulik. We were able to get 5 generations of our family in one room. Not too many families can do that. Aunt Julie has not been feeling too well. But, she did interact a bit with the girls. Here is Lily reaching out for her hand.



And another picture of just the women.

So, I am pleased to report our first trip to Indiana was a rousing success. Thank you everyone for your hospitality. We had a great time and are looking forward to our next visit.

Trip to Indiana, part 1: the Baptism

The girls just went on their first cross-country trip to Indiana. Here are some of the photo highlights. Instead of showing every picture (which would take forever to load), I have added links. Click on the underlined words to see more pictures.


Our family before going to the Baptism.

Close up of Elsa's gown. She is the 3rd generation to wear the Angyus family gown. It was made from G-Grandma's wedding dress.

Close up of Lily's gown. She wore the Nelson family gown. It is the same dress worn by my mom and me.

The girls together. Elsa is prepping Lily's hair.

The Baptism ceremony was very beautiful. The girls were were surrounded by family and friends. They spontaneously held hands while the Pastor was blessing them. It was very sweet. After they were Baptised, the Pastor bravely took both girls in his arms and walked up and down the aisle of the church. Here are some action shots of the ceremony.
Lily's Baptism.
Looking at their candles.

The girls godparents are Meggan, Laura, Erik, Johnny and David.

After the ceremony, we returned to Grandma and Grandpa P's house for a celebration. Here are some pictures of the girls visiting with family and friends.
Olivia and Maureen
The Pannings/Beggs cousins
LB, Mary and Elsa
G-Grandma Panning, Aunt Ruth and Elsa

There are many more pictures of our vacation. Grandma P has a disk with over 175! I will try and post more later. Check back soon.