We’re in March now. Lucas and Abigail were born in December. My father still hasn’t been able to see them, not for lack of trying. This Friday he’ll finally meet the children of his first born. He’ll cry. I can already picture it now. I wonder which you love more, your children or your grandchildren if there is a "more" with that kind of thing. I’m sure it’s just a "different" kind of thing. In writing MOOSE today I was combing through boxes of my past, where I’ve stored everything camp-related: photos, fight songs, variety skits, and letters. I’ve kept all the letters my grandparents sent me. Today, I read a letter from my grandmother. She told me she loved me more than anything in the world, and that there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for me. It’s wonderful to be loved like that, so completely, for just being you. I love that my father will love my children that same way, the way his mother loved me.
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So big and beautiful, I can't wait till I have some of my own. Smell their sweet delicate heads for me.
Your babies are so beautiful..and look how big they've become! So gorgeous. Thank you for sharing the photos. Have you made it over to The Domain yet?
FROM STEPHANIE: Thank you. And I was there opening day. Carol (my father's wife) will love it. It's the Americana Shopping Center only in Austin.
Love is an amazing thing. Eat it up – gobble it.
p.s. – Your girl looks just like you already
I am amazed by how your son has grown larger than his sister! He was the smaller of the two right? You would never know it from these pictures that they were the teeny preemies that they were. Adorable.
They are both just precious! I'm sure Grandpa will cry a ton when he sees them in person. Abigal looks so much like you–especially in set 2, the 7th one in. You are so blessed to have healthy and beautiful babies.
Your babies are BEAUTIFUL and they are SO BIG now! It's wonderful to see how much they've grown!
I LOVE Abigail's facial expressions. It's amazing how such tiny babies can look all grown up already.
Magnet on my mother's fridge:
"If I'd known grandchildren were this much fun, I'd have had them first."
My son was born 5 years ago, exactly 3 days before my mother turned 50. She always says that he`s been the most beautiful birthday present.
And I`m always fascinated to see how much my parents love him.
Of course your father will love your little ones.
And I think he must be very excited because Abigail looks a lot like your father, doesn`t she?
And to wine makes mummy clever:
My mother`s got the same magnet on her fridge (the german version of it).
Reader since the UK article, first time poster. Your beans are so Mini-Me-Phil and Mini-Me-Steph. Does it ever freak you out a little bit that they look so much like the two of you? I would love to see a post comparing your baby pictures with the twins.
YUMMY! Those pics bring back such memories of my own. My dynamic-duo are now 2, will be 3 in June. Now they are a force to be reckoned with and my house, furniture, organized nature are nothing but a ginormous playground. Sigghhh. You're right, your Dad will cry. He'll be remembering when you were that little and wonder where the time has gone.
Thanks for the pics… beautiful babies.
While not many of your fans or detractors would use the adjectives "discreet" or "mysterious" about your blog, book, etc., there's one area of your life that you definitely tiptoe around: your parents. I certainly respect that, and I'm sure you and they have some sort of understanding about keeping their lives private.
I am intrigued by what isn't said — specifically, your close relationship with your father and seeming distance from your mother. Of course, I might be completely misreading, and it's no one's business but yours. I wonder, however, as the adorable beans grow and if you continue writing memoirs, you will one day write about relationship with your parents.
Tangentially, I think what fascinates me about bloggers and blogging — keeping in mind that most of them are not Ivy-educated published writers — is the self-editing that goes on. It's usually quite artless: something along the lines of "I can't say anymore about it because I think my sister's ex-husband's dog groomer is reading this and will spill everything at our dysfunctional Father's Day barbecue, but believe me, it was HUGE!!!!" WHAT was huge?? I want to scream at the monitor. But she/he won't tell, because blog or no blog, it's private.
This is what happens when I comment while still riding that morning caffeine high. I'll shut up now.
A&L are so wonderfully expressive.
A friend of mine at work just became a grandmother for the first time on Saturday – she's been wandering around in a cloud of happy ever since.
Her family uses "Omi" and "Papi" as grandparent names, what does your family use?
My mother and her new husband Don are: Yiya and Papoo (Greek)
My father and Carol: Pop Pop and Gramme
Phil's parents: Grandma and Grandpa
We let them each decide what they wanted to be called.
Barbara E.– As for exploring my relationship with my parents, I do some of that in MOOSE, especially my relationship with my mother. I'm close to both of them, but in very different ways.
Aw, they are adorable. I can't look for too long or else I'm going to want my own, haha.
You'll hear this 750 times today, but Lucas and Abigail are absolutely stunning, Stephanie.
i love that photo thing…where can i get it?
also i want to eat your babies up.
it's so fun how you both have a mini-me.
i'd like to see side by side pictures of you and phil as infants –side by side pictures of abigail and lucas as infants.
i did this with all my family's baby pictures to see who my daughter looked like more–she is the spitting image of my half-sister..so crazy…so my niece (her cousin) and my daughter are practically twins.
if you don't stop it with the adorable baby pictures i'll be forced to get pregnant again!!
Just precious. Truly precious. Enjoy.
Havent looked at the pictures yet so expect another comment to follow this one, but I wanted to comment on the bonding between grandparents and grandchildren. This was beautiful – gave me the tingles and made my nips poke out.
My mom is raw and honest. She and I have a very close relationship, much like your dad and you have. In fact, when I read your book and the part about talking to your dad while he's on the jon, I laughed aloud b/c it reminded me of my relationship with my mom. Very candid.
Anyway, I think you're right. Your dad is going to cry when he sees them, and cry when he leaves them. He's going to have a special kind of bond with them that he didnt even have with his own girls if he's anything like my mom.
My mom told me she bonded with both my brother and I, but the bond she has with my son is even stronger and the love they feel is overwhelming.
Maybe b/c they are at a point in their life where they can truly enjoy the oh-so-short-lived baby years without the stress and worry that comes with being a parent. Maybe it's because she's so close to me so she feels as if he is her own.
All I know is her bond with him is an incredible one, and as he grows into a little boy, their bond continues to grow stronger if that's even possible.
Your dad isnt going to know what to do with not just one but two lovebugs! He's going to feel like the luckiest man in the world.
My son calls my dad Poppa and my mom Nanee (pronounced Non-ee). He calls his dad's mom Grandma.
The grandparents on the woman's side of the family always seem to be a little closer to the grandchildren. Even with my mom's parents in another state when I was a kid and my dad's parents right in the same town, it was my mom's parents I was closest to.
Sorry for the long post.
Barb E made me do it!
Wow, they are thriving, beautiful babies. They don't even have the "preemie look" that is so typical of premature babies. Have a wonderful visit with your father.
Wow, they're getting so big. Abigail does look a lot like you, but I still think Lucas has your eyes. And is that red hair Im seeing on his little tater head?
They're both very pretty babies. Soon they'll be sitting up!
Thanks for posting all those.
Your little ones have gotten so much more beautiful as they've grown!
Your babies are adorable!
they are gorgeous!
have you checked …. out? saw it and thought of you….who doesn't like brownie butts?!
They are simply PRECIOUS Stephanie, absolutely beautiful! You'll cherish those photos forever.
On a side note, can't wait for your new book!
They are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Amazing how Abigail looks so much like you and Lucas looks so much like your hubby. Enjoy every moment.
The tater tots are getting so big! Has Leah seen them yet? How is she doing with Linus? Oh, and have you had any luck with a nanny?
I've wanted to ask how you and Phil are adjusting as new parents? How has that affected your relationship? Are you closer? Further apart? Argue more/less? More or less intimacy? Sorry to be so nosy, I guess being that I don't have kids and want them, I'm more nervous about what they do to a marriage/relationship. I've always been skeptical of people who say it's all that and a bag of chips.
So many questions…thank you for keeping us up to date!
OHHH!! They're so….SHINY!!!!
(and it keeps going through my head …the babies are SO incredibly lucky to have such PERFECT photos of perfect moments.)
Your children are beautiful!!
your babies are beautiful! they look so healthy.
you've been truly blessed. enjoy your time with them.
Echoing most of your commenters, they are BEAUTIFUL Stephanie!
3T
the babies are absolutely precious!
They just get cuter and cuter! Love the updates.
I agree with Terri. I saw such resemblance in set 2, pic 7. They are so perfect, Stephanie. My grandpa was my closest friend; still is even at 87. Such a unique bond; I hope your children have that with your father too. Enjoy your visit together.
Your beans aren't beans anymore! They are gorgeous! I like that they aren't identical, I can tell them apart! Just beautiful!
Gorgeous babies! Makes me want to go and…err…buy some! Definately one boy and one girl. How is the Lineman doing with his new Mommy?
What beautiful pictures! One of my closest friends had a baby last night. It seems baby talk is everywhere. My fiance and I are getting married in July and along the same lines as the questions form bestmansgrl, I'm curious to get other people's opinions about babies and marriage… Obviously, I know our relationship will change but we are planning to start trying right away. I have a few fears… It might be harder than we expect, it's going to be so much stress on a new marriage… Any advice?
On a slightly different note, I was talking to a friend who has two young daughters the other day. She was saying how happy she is in her life right now and that she can't imagine it getting any better than this. It reminded me of a covnersation with my mom after I got engaged about how she is so happy where she is right now and can't wait to be a grandmother because of the bond she knows she'll have with our children. Stephanie, I can't wait to hear how your dad's visit goes. I love thinking about my parents as grandparents and my grandma as a great-grandma. Family bonds really are amazing.
Gorgeous, gorgeous babies!
It must be quite life-observational to write a book on one's childhood and have babies all at the same time
My grandpa is and has always been my hero. He taught me about baseball, how a man should treat a woman and the joy of just spending time enjoying life. I am sure your dad will do the same for your wonderful little beans.
My kids are incredibly close w/ my parents, whom they call Grandma and Grandpa. They are not close w/ my in-laws, and they call them "the other grandma and grandpa" (sometimes to their faces – oops – but it's well deserved).
My mom babysat for 2 of my kids yesterday, and when I got home, she said, "I really like your kids". Then she laughed and said that she adores them more than anything, of course, but she also just really likes them and loves to spend time w/ them.
Enjoy your dad's visit. Your babies are beautiful. If he's anything like my dad he will absolutely cry. BTW, I called my grandfather Pop Pop too.
Ooohh….just LOOK at them! I just miss having babies so much! I can picture them lying there, little hands and arms moving around almost uncontrollably. There's something magical about being a grandparent. All those qualities in your parents that you take for granted now that you're grown – your children see all over again. My mother would sit and play the piano for my girls, and they would dance around the room. I had totally forgotten how she played the piano when I was young. Enjoy your Dad's visit – there's nothing like grandpa.
Question: When babies are born prematurely, how do they calculate their age? From the date of actual birth, or do they adjust it somehow? Just curious.
Your babies are so beautiful!
Lucas is the spitting image of Phil!
"The grandparents on the woman's side of the family always seem to be a little closer to the grandchildren."
That`s so true, Julie. I remember when I was a child a visit by my fathers parents felt like being a guest in someones house; visiting my mothers parents always felt like home.
And it`s the same thing now with my son and his grandparents; he`s so much closer with my parents than with my in-laws.
Why is it so? If anyone can tell me, I`m all ears.
they look so cute!
those pictures – simply adorable :)
Beautiful. Beautiful photography, but I tell myself it must be easier when you have such perfect subject matter.
Your children are delicious.
And I know everyone else has mentioned this,but it is freaky how much they look like the two of ya'll.
Thanks for posting pictures of the beans! They are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Stephanie – they are absolutely gorgeous. I hope they bring joy, love and pride to you and Phil every single day.