However protracted the journey has been, we have come a long way from the twins sticking their hands into a dirty diaper to investigate their doo-doo status.

Or the boys trying hard to convince me that they still need to go potty, even though a big poop was already residing in their undies. Man, has it been a messy ride!

Gabriel gets fashionably festive for cookie decorating @ Matthew & Jonathan’s house.

As of now, the dudes wear undies all the time (around the house and yard, on every adventure and outing, and even on road trips). Accidents are still semi-commonplace, but seem a little less frequent with each passing day.

Gabriel and Zeke mostly have the peeing thing under control. In fact, they just recently began peeing in the potty without any assistance, and they are amazingly adept and hygienic about the whole process.

I attribute these good mechanics to the fact that Gabe and Zeke have been going solo in the backyard for a while now. Once they mastered the downhill rule, all that remained was target practice: aiming at blades of grass, leaves, tree trunks and the like.

Bowel movements are bit more elusive. Luckily, most of their poopy accidents occur while in diapers, which they only wear during nap time and to bed at night. My theory is that they make the conscious decision to hold it and hold out for diapers.

Fortunately, the twins can physically control the urge, yet they opt for the ease and convenience of soiling a diaper and letting mommy change it. I know they will eventually outgrow this indolent habit. Plus, it’s better for me than dirty undies and the nasty cleanup that follows. Buy hey, progress is progress.

Houston breaks in the new easel — the boys’ main Christmas gift from Mommy & Daddy.

In other health news

On 2/10, the twins had their first head-to-toe wellness check with our new pediatrician, Dr. Gay. Gabe came in at 39 pounds heavy and 39 inches tall, while Zeke is just a tad lighter and shorter — odd since Zeke typically has the hardier appetite.

To my surprise, the boys were much farther behind on their vaccinations than I had thought or hoped, and they each had to get three shots. For a couple days thereafter, Zeke had a fever, which is a normal yet unfortunate reaction for some kids. But good news is, the twins are finally up to date with their vaccination schedules.

Dr. Gay also found a small amount of fluid in Zeke’s ears. It wasn’t enough to warrant antibiotics, so she advised me to give him Claritin for a few weeks. At his check-up yesterday, one ear was clear and the other had a few droplets. The doc said to continue with the meds throughout the spring, which is a good idea considering our family’s history with seasonal allergies. I have already been giving Houston Claritin for a while now due to his increasing allergy symptoms.

Houston & Zeke do their best @ following Twister’s rules.

And then some time last week, Houston’s left eye became persistently bloodshot, so we’ve been giving him eye drops to boot — a regrettable course of action since he detests anything eye related. But just yesteray, Houston decided he would rather be brave and have the trauma be brief, than kick and scream and have the experience drag on and on.

So out of the blue, Houston accomplished a Herculean feat all on his own. I mean, I had accepted the exhausting ritual just ’cause a mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do. So thanks, Houston, for being such a mature boy!

Speaking of growing up, I attempted the triple-threat endeavor of taking the 3 Amigos to the dentist all by myself on 3/1. Unlike less volatile and fear-inducing visits to other docs, going to the dentist has always been an parental exercise in patience, compassion and safety in numbers.

None of my go-to folks could accompany me, so I mentally prepared for the worst and forged ahead. But to my great surprise, the dudes were casual, as if getting a dental cleaning was no big deal. They were calm and care free, friendly and fearless. Boy, have they come a long way!

Gabriel helps Salty, the dockside diesel, chuff down the track.

I got a free orthopedic screening at the Y on 2/15. The physical therapist diagnosed me with “quadratus lumborum tightness” and a “hip flexor strain,” which are conditions stemming from my 32-hour labor and delivery with Houston. My pelvis area and the surrounding tendons on the left side of my body have never felt right since then.

Over the years, this has spread to my hip, lower back, outer thigh and even my shoulder — pain felt only on the left side of my body. That’s the reason I’ve taken a hiatus from swimming. Can’t really do freestyle or backstroke without a working shoulder. Major bummer.

So, the therapist taught me how to do some core-strengthening stretches, which truly have improved things. Wanting still greater mobility and certainly less pain, I plan on visiting the good therapist so he can help work out my kinks even more effectively.

Bob (the cat) is cashing in on her nine lives. See, I was seriously considering putting her down a while back. Her physique was gaunt and her personality was manic. Bob has always been a weirdo, even for feline standards, but she seemed quite unhealthy.

Not a hard sell for the biggest sweet tooth in the bunch, Zeke was thrilled w/ his belated gingerbread-man treat.

Despite her age (15 and a half) and the cost of the initial testing, we decided that the loyal, but peculiar cat deserved another shot. Turns out, she has hyperthryoidism.

After three expensive trips to the vet, we now have her Rx tweaked. Surprisingly, the meds are fairly inexpensive, and even more shocking, she takes the small oral pill without much of a fight.

In short, Bob’s doing great: she has gained weight, is much less crazy and is a lot more tolerable these days. She is still a pain the butt, but I’m glad to have her around for a few more quality years. We love you, Bobby!

Click the above photo to view December’s part 2 gallery and the top image to check out part 3. The train shot is a teaser for the forthcoming Christmas-day pics … keep your eyes peeled.