Conference notes.....

While attending the National Down Syndrome Congress Conference in Boston today, Princess Abigail was able to again reach out an touch Hollywood when meeting 80's TV icon Chris Burke and also Jeff Kerr, writer of The Child King. Jeff was kind enough to autograph a copy of his movie for Abigail, and Chris signed our copies of Life Goes On, the show he starred in, as well as a copy of one of The Chris Burke Band's latest CDs! We were thrilled that everyone was so sweet to her/us and willing to provide us with items for Abby's Special Treasures chest which her parents are cumulating items for each and every day. The conference seems to be a major success and we're hoping for some media hits too!

Abby with Jeff Kerr, ATF agent and writer of The Child King. Everyone should run out and purchase a copy--a GREAT holiday film! (http://www.thechildking.com/)

http://www.chrisburke.org/

And here they are--Abby and Chris, the man who paved the way for so many people with Down syndrome. His acting career helped shift public mindset from negative scrutiny about people with disabilities to one of acceptance and admiration. He's a very impressive man.

Aramis asleep at the wheel....

It makes us wonder what we're doing to our children when we realize that they are sleepy so much of the day. We've found our children asleep on the floor, inside toy baskets and in their swings at all hours of the day. Today contained one more of those precious moments as Aramis fell asleep while having his lunch. It didn't take us long to figure out why the little lad was so exhausted.......

Alec (R) is bright eyed and bushy tailed, but Aramis, fast asleep....
And below is the reason why! Our youngest munchkin is now on the move--crawling around at top speed and exhausting himself. Can you say, BABYPROOFING continues!!??@@

Happy 6th Anniversary Tony and Wendy!

Today marks the 6th wedding anniversary of King Tony and Queen Wendy. In that short time, the couple purchased a home, welcomed three babies, became partner of a law firm, founded a new business, completed a variety of philanthropic and volunteer works, traveled around the US and Europe together, and actually still love each other! The couple wed at a lovely castle in Windham, New Hampshire and have built a kingdom of their own together. :) Mazeltov!

Oooh, kissy, kissy!
Don't they look great in black and white?

Wendy's inspirational mini coconut castle anniversary cake made especially for King Tony.

Party Theme Contest....

The twin prince's 1st birthday is rapidly approaching. It's very hard to believe they are almost one given that we just started to sleep through the night a few weeks ago. It's been a challenging journey, but both boys are absolute perfection--with their emerging teeth, infectious smiles and laughter, and oh so cute butts! September is closing in and in grand Agudelo tradition, we are beginning to plan a huge engagement to celebrate the boys' 1 year. While we've toyed with a number of ideas, we haven't really closed in on one. So, to those that follow this blog, we'd love to hear some ideas! To provide inspiration, we've placed photos below of the cakes Wendy made to coincide with party themes from the past. :) Submit your ideas now!!

Abby's 1st Birthday - "Baby Blocks" (family party)

Abby's 1st Birthday - NACHO AVERAGE FIESTA (friend party)

Sombrero Cake

Abby's 2nd Birthday - All about the OREO

Tony's "All about Chocolate Balls" 38th!

It's SIPPY Time...!

Each day as we awake, we know that one, if not all of our children, will find a way to give us something to beam with pride about--be it a new word, crawling, or simply smiling more than usual. This morning, the twin princes decided to master the sippy cup experience. We've introduced one to each of them for about 6 weeks, but neither took to them until we brought home a NUBY! As of this morning, these bulbous nipple cups have become a favorite of our princes, as noted below. As parents living in a household soon to be free of bottles, nipples and daily washing/sterilizing of them, we're THRILLED! Need I say more? :)

Aramis shows off his 'one-hand-cup' maneuver....

Alec tackles his sippy cup...

Spelling Bee Victory

As many of you know, Princess Abigail is an avid sign language user. When Daddy asked her tonight so spell some words, she broke out her sign language alphabet and in perfect order, spelled a variety of words for her father--including TURKEY--videotaped below for reference. We thinks she's a genius! :)

Abby's Hershey Birthday...

Happy Birthday Abby! This weekend, Princess Abigail turned 3 years old! It really is amazing how quickly those years flew by and to know that our little girl begins pre-K in less than two weeks!! For her birthday, she received a lovely artist easel (complete with chalkboard, dry-erase board and painting paper for all future pictures...) and a variety of precious goodies from her family, Godparents and friends. Abby Cadabby is now 3!! :)

Traditionally, we ask Abby to choose a theme for her birthday--and this year, she chose HERSHEY chocolate. Abby loves HERSHEY chocolate bars, so it wasn't too surprising that she chose this idea. Last year, she was amid an OREO cookie binge, so of course, she received an Oreo cookie cake. This year, the cake was much easier to bake since HERSHEY provides a fantastic, make-from-scratch recipe and frosting on their site, so the result was the cake above. A few letters dropped off since my foil-letter cutting skills have decreased with age...so HERSHEY became HERSHE' :) I don't think she minded, or even noticed, for that matter. :)
Abby stares down the #3 candle and prepares to make her wish and a big blow!!

After successfully extinguishing the flame, our princess dives in to her birthday cake with a very special pink fork and takes the first bite..
Meanwhile, the twin princes watch from the sidelines and wait patiently for their slice... Ahhh....chocolate bliss! There's nothing like a HERSHEY bar, or cake, or frosting for that matter! The perfect way to cap off a third birthday! Yummy!!

Exhausted....

Not to worry, our children are absolutely safe! The photos below were taken by our au pair, who while playing with the children, exhausted them so much that they ended up head in picnic basket and napping on the floor! We swear, NO child was harmed to achieve these photos, nor was any alcohol present. The twin princes are just go-go-go until then stop, and where they stop is anyone's guess--it changes daily! While we were visiting Deerfield, the boys were taken here, there and everywhere. To picnics, out for ice cream, around Deerfield's campus, etc. and in the end, they were just too tired to hold up their heads any longer.

I guess 'when yer tired, yer really tired!' :)

A Private Poo...

Similar to other parents who have gone before us, we are now aware of the unique methods our children use to conceal the moments when they need to use the facilities, but would rather use their diaper instead! You know, those hide in the corner very quietly, sneak under the table so no one can find you moments? Well, our Princess Abby has found a new way to 'hide' when the urge overcomes her and we are without her potty. This past weekend, while in Deerfield for Tony's 20th high school reunion, Miss Abigail found a new place to 'hide' since her usual place (her bathroom potty) wasn't to be found in our hotel room. As parents, we were kicking ourselves for leaving behind her potty, but given how many other items we had to cart with us, just had no other choice! Alas, Abby found a private spot in a room where there was little privacy. You just have to hand it to the girl as she's very strategic and knows exactly how to make use of all available private locales. And yes, we're well aware of how angry she'll be with us when she gets older and realizes how we've embarrassed her-- but actually--we're very proud parents. Abby showed incredible resourcefulness and problem-solving skills given her missing potty. And, we learned a valuable lesson resulting in our trip to Babies R Us this afternoon to purchase a 'child ring' for use on any standard commode so that future away trips will be more potty-training productive and less embarrassing for Abby :)

Size matters!....

Whoever said size didn't matter, didn't understand the true definition of size, in my opinion. Just this weekend, we realized just how much size matters when we looked at photos of the twin princes when they were one month old, and today, at only eight months old. Photos taken while being bottle fed in their infant seats then and now provides a good sense of just how quickly little humans grow. A little more evidence that we have evolved from cro-magnon!

THEN: Aramis and Alec at one month--enjoying a little boobie juice!

NOW: At eight months, the twin princes require much more care and feeding and have all but outgrown their infant seats.

Tipping the scales at more than 22 lbs. each, these boys are on the path to becoming some big time sluggers (if King Tony gets his wish).

Storyland - Part Deux

Ah, the joy of swirling in a tea cup. Just something the men would enjoy, no?

Mommy and Abby get their turn to swirl on the Tilt-A-Whirl Turtles. What happened to the days when you could ride these rides for hours, love every minute, and not get motion sickness??? Ugh..!

Tony and Regis go round and round on the flume. No lines and no waiting, so the boys stayed in their logs for several trips up...and down...and ultimately, into a very big SPLASH! Towels anyone?

Storyland.....conquered!

The rain couldn't stop us. We loaded up two cars (since we now travel with three kids, an au pair, two parents, two pack-and-plays, three strollers, three pieces of luggage, two diaper bags, cooler and a partridge in a pear tree), and headed North to the White Mountains of New Hampshire within which rests an adventureland for the young. Nestled in the foothills is a gorgeous little theme park called Storyland where the adults can be kids and kids can have fun! While we visited Storyland on a weekend that was cool and wet, the result was NO LINES on any rides, way fewer families to dodge inside the park, a food court nearly to ourselves, and the ability to stay on the rides we enjoyed until we either got sick or had to go pee! Abby, Alec and Aramis were joined by their very good friend RJ (and Alec's godparents Regis and Laurie) for a weekend of fun. Below are some photos from our adventures -- start to finish.

"Woo-hoo, we're finally here! What's up with the rain, man?"

"I absolutely hate this wet weather. When are we moving to the Carolinas?"
"Peekaboo!" Laurie and RJ enjoy some cherry pie....
"Wheeeeeeeee!"
"Hey down there...do you like our tree house? Kind of a gingerbread theme..."

Hello from the land of the shoes! Abby and Wendy enjoy riding in a flying shoe....

Ah, a castle fit for our Princess Abigail. King Tony brings her inside for a closer look...Oh no, the teacups!!! Abby and RJ wonder how they ended up in this predicament. Thanks DADS!

Wendy and Abby trial the water flume. We figured, we were already wet already thanks to the rain, so what's a few more splashes????
Abby shows Daddy exactly how to drive. "Now Daddy, when you are going to turn, prepare others behind you by putting on your blinker like this!...."Oh NO, it's a TRACTOR! Abby is taking after her mother after all and may end up on Grandpa's farm doing some lawn mowing or gardening.....


A sweet family portrait of the Dubes. Regis and Laurie are Alec's Godparents and RJ is preparing for Star Search. Just ask him to sing "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey and you'll vote for him!

Oh, the end of the trip. The twins were too pooped to even smile for the camera and fell asleep on site. Abby was fighting the bugs that seemed to grow in numbers every minute we were outside. UGH! Pass the bug spray!!

More videos to come.....

A Father and His Sons...

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly men bond. It seems a secret society within which any human with a penis can be quickly initiated. Enter Tony and his twin sons who recently enjoyed (or endured) a lot of bonding time whenWendy and Abby traveled to Utah. During that time, something must have happened since the twin princes have become more Daddy's boys than Mommy's boys (well, for a few days anyway...). Look at these boys who have just emerged from 4 days with Daddy exclusively. See any resemblances? It's all testosterone to me! (well, until Mommy took the Flip camera and recorded some time with the boys when Daddy had left the room.) :)

Bye-Bye Utah, Helllooooo Massachusetts!

After several fun days in Utah, Princess Abigail and Wendy said good-bye to the snow-capped mountain tops, and hello to the green and cozy weather found in Massachusetts. Upon arriving home, Wendy and Abby were greeted with presents (Daddy went a little nuts...), a wonderfully clean house, no laundry to do, and the twins sound asleep. After a long trip, it was just what the girls needed. Tony planted a small flower garden for Wendy while she was away--QUITE a surprise, and our au pair took extra good care of the boys so that Tony could work, Abby could film and Wendy could stop biting her nails and avoid stress/tension headaches the whole week. The girls are glad to be home, but will have fond memories of Salt Lake. Home sweet home!!

Girl on film....

...Here she is, Princess Abigail flanked by directors, editors and cameramen, strutting her 'signing stuff.' If Wendy can figure out how to download the other videos she took with the new Flip camcorder Tony gave her for Mother's Day, more videos will be posted soon. Note: Be aware of the director's 'plumbers butt.' We didn't realize it showed up so clearly in this video until reviewing after the fact. Hee.hee..... :)

Hair, makeup and wardrobe....

After having the pleasure of meeting her idols, Princess Abby had to get down to business as she was set to film for two days in a row. After a quick sleep, swim in the pool and a bite to eat, Abby was off to her first location. We took some pictures from Day 2 of filming (below). Initially, the shoots were to be completed in beautiful outdoor parks, but due to lots of rain, thundershowers, wind and cool weather, filming was done half in/half out. We're confident the final product will look fantastic though as the Signing Time team was super professional and pulled out all the stops to make certain that the parents (and child stars) felt so special.

Abby sits on the floor of the wardrobe room. Marcus, who was in charge of wardrobe, thought what Wendy dressed Abby in was perfect, so he didn't change anything about her clothes or hair. But.....
...he couldn't resist putting every hat they had in stock on her as he thought she looked like a child that could not only get away with wearing every/all hats, but her little head fit in all of them! :)

Trying on yet another hat.... :)

Abby and Kaitlyn prepare for filming of 'friend' and 'share'
Here's a shot of some 'one on one' time with Director Damien and cameraman Chad. Abby flirted relentlessly with Chad...she seems to have a thing for blondes... :)

Abby's American Idol....

No, it's not David Cook or even David Archuleta. It's Rachel Coleman! This past week, Princess Abigail and Wendy flew to beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah so that Abby could partake in the filming of the next series of Signing Time (www.signingtime.com) -- a company that provides DVDs, CDs, books and flashcards -- all geared to teach infants, toddlers, school-aged children and even adults how to use sign language (ASL). The series is not only available across the country on public television, it has also just been nominated for an Emmy award!!!!

When Abby was 9 months of age, Tony and Wendy introduced Abby to Signing Time videos, and to nobody's surprise, Abby took to them like a fish to water. Every day since, Abby requests either a DVD, book, CD or flashcard of Signing Time and has acquired a large library of the company's merchandise. Furthermore, Wendy and Tony were thrilled to learn that Signing Time was seeking children to participate in its next video series since it gave them an opportunity to show the team at Signing Time just how effective their product! Unbelievably, Abby was selected from thousands of children to participate in the series, and Wendy and Tony were beside themselves with pride.

Upon arriving in Salt Lake, Abby was able to come face-to-face with her idol, Rachel, and three other film stars, Leah, Lucy and Alex! Posted below are some of the photos.

Rachel signs 'I love you' while Abby is completely speech and sign-less!! :)

Rachel was the most sweet she could be and held on to Abby while signing autographs.

Abby impresses Rachel with her incredibly large vocabulary of signs. We of course represented Boston with some gifts of our own for Rachel--come to find out--her husband Aaron (an incredibly warm and kind man) is a Red Sox fan too! :)

Abby enjoys a few minutes with Leah Colman (L) and Alex Brown (R) --both stars of ST.
Abby barely wants to say good-bye. Ms. Coleman was absolutely wonderful with her and told us that she hand-picked Abigail!!

Here's more on the production of Signing Time. Abby too made the ST blog! :
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2008/05/baby-signing-time-production/

More photos and videos to come....!

Ready for SLC...

Here she is...a future movie star in the making! In less than one week, Princess Abigail will set off on an adventure West to Salt Lake City to film several sign language videos with Signing Time/Two Little Hands Productions. The company provided a list of signs for Abby to learn, yet she's seen fit to learn the 50 signs to be used in the series so that she's ready for anything. Our little girl loves a challenge. Knowing how wonderful a traveler she is, we anticipate a great trip to Utah and look forward to sharing her video debut with our friends in families in the months to come. Stay tuned!

Mother's Day...

Each Mother's Day for the last three years has been pretty amazing for Wendy given that she was able to enjoy the reality that she is a mom -- now--to three lovely children. The addition of the twin princes has completed the Agudelo family in a way that neither Tony or Wendy expected. This year, King Tony went above and beyond to surprise Wendy with her very own pasta maker (she's wanted one for years and years...) as well as a very handy pocket video camera! Abigail also delivered an incredible, handmade card which is now on display in our kitchen for all visitors to enjoy. The photo above was taken as Wendy tried out the new pasta machine -- making a whole wheat pasta for dinner. Although the pasta ended up sticking together a little more than she had hoped (gluten--you can't live with or without it...), it was a great first run. Given how easy it is to make your own pasta, Wendy anticipates more ravioli, lasagna, spaghetti and linguine dishes will be on menu at Chez Agudelo in the months and years to come. Book your reservations early for the best seats in the house! :)

High Grade Fever....

The kingdom was rattled again recently when our little Prince Alec began acting sluggish and sported a lovely 105 degree temperature. After a battery of tests at the doctor's office, we learned that just like his brother a month ago, Alec had fallen victim to lovely cellulitis, on top of a viral stomach infection. Combined, the problems were nearly impenetrable as our little tyke couldn't keep down antibiotics to relieve the cellulitis, vomited all his food and even Pedialyte. After five long, sleepless nights of feeding him small teaspoonfuls of liquid by syringe to keep him hydrated and out of the emergency room, our Alec is seemingly on the mend. His fever has come down, his smile returned and this morning, we were able to capture the photo above--Prince Alec peeking out of his bassinet to see what was going on in the world around him. We were thrilled to see his beautiful face without rosy cheeks, tears or a look of pain. As parents, Tony and Wendy have yet to understand how so many generations have endured the emotional and physical trauma of infant illness. The worry we have for these babes of ours is so unexpected, and hopefully, we'll reduce the number of major worries we have in the months to come.

Second tooth is in...

Prince Alec's second tooth has arrived. Now he and his twin brother Aramis are sporting TWO beautiful, white bottom front teeth each and enjoying their newfound abilities to munch on Cheerios! No other big news from the kingdom this week. We're getting the kingdom in order in preparation for a summer of fun with friends and family, and Abigail is working on her sign language lessons daily in preparation for her upcoming filming in Salt Lake City.