"Studio Shots"

Ari Isaac

Rafael Te'om

It's not just me, right? These are the MOST adorable boys on the planet!

A Tale of Two Sleeping Boys

THE Boys usually sleep with us - they like to hold our hands, lay on us, or next to us - be in contact with throughout the night.

EVERY morning they have some time in their crib... they ususaly fall asleep after talking/laughing/screeching to the mobile, animals leaning all around the edge of the crib, or their face in the mirror. We separate them with a big blanket rolled up like a bolster.

THIS morning for the FIRST time they wiggled their way around so they could be next to each other, touching each other while they slept....Such smart and beautiful boys they are!

ARI is on the right in orange, RAFAEL on the left in blue.

Baby Bjorn boogie

One of the highlights of this week was getting to spend Monday with the whole family, walking around with our baby carriers. I *love* the Baby Bjorn and did a special jig with Ari to prove it. I might have been a little more excited about it than he was...but he was smiling and laughing more when the camera wasn't on.

Second-Parent Adoption - Cynthia's adoption of the boys became final on November 19, 2008! Who looks more happy - us or Judge Yu? Rafael is in stripes, Ari is in white with little doggies. We have always been a family but now, we are legally for sure, for sure a family!

The boys are ours and we are theirs!!!

Halloween Night!

What can I say? We had a blast!!!

Rocky & Bullwinkle surrounded by their pals Boris & Natasha (Mamas Julie & Cynthia), Dudley Do Right (Pop Pop Jason) and Nell (our friend Jayda).

How cute are they?

Ari as Bullwinkle in the making. He was such a trooper sitting for his
moose hat fitting for Mama Cynthia.

Rocky J. Squirrel (aka Rafael). Our little squirrel sacked out in the basinette and looking adorable. He just fell asleep mid-evening in the middle of one of the many photo sessions.

Boris and Natasha. Need I say more?

Our very own Pop Pop embodies Dudley Do Right.

Horse is the ever faithful steed.

And the swooning, lovely Nell. Oh what a night!

Beautiful Faces!

Our boys have the most beautiful faces!!! -- Ari (top) and Rafael (bottom).

Rafi Franken-Fish and Ari Sweeeeet Monster

These shirts were a gift from Judy and Anna. Ari would NOT smile despite my best comedic efforts.

Don't they look like two old men waiting for coffee and cigars after dinner?

Video: Babies in Motion

Cynthia (aka Mama) caught our guys on video just playing together in the crib. The game is called, "I See You...You Lick Me". Rafi is very good at the licking part.

Twins for Obama

Two months old and already registered Democrats! 

Ari finds this amusing. Rafael strikes an Obama-like pose.

Doesn't he look Presidential?

Rafi says VOTE OBAMA!!!

We figured our activism will consist of dressing them in their Obama t-shirts every day until the election.

Adoption Day!!!

Walking in to the courthouse atrium -- it looked like a tree of life to us. It seemed fitting since this was the first day of Sukkot. What a beautiful day to celebrate the finalization of the adoption.


Judge Yu holds our babies after she declared the adoption approved. So happy!!


Our happy family with the judge...

...and our inclusive happy family with Jason (aka PopPop)!!
We loved having Jason there to be a part of this -- he is so important to the boys and to us.
So much love!!!

Babies in the crib

Ari (left in stripes) and Rafael hang out together in the crib. They love to "talk to the face" -- the middle piece above them on the black & white mobile. Rafi does a little jig kicking his legs with excitement.

The boys and their dolls

They always have their dolls in their carseats.
Ari has a lion of course (his name means lion in Hebrew) and, Rafi has the doll with the healing green heart (his name comes from the Hebrew word for healing - r'fua).

My First Post

Early Days -- Ari (with an "A") and Rafi (below); they were just 4 days old when I took these at our hotel.