FARGO (AP) - Belle Carlsen happily bounced in a freestanding jumper until she noticed her mother directing her attention elsewhere.

Nearby, Amy Carlsen was changing 7-month-old Abby's diaper, and Belle didn't like it. Squeals of delight quickly turned into screams of anger before Amy had a hand free to comfort both twins. Then, she handed down the verdict.

"We're going to have to learn patience around here," Amy said, balancing a baby on each hip. "There's only one mama and two of you."

The formerly conjoined twins, Abbigail and Isabelle, and their parents have been home for about a month, and life is starting to look more normal. Abby and Belle roll over and grab socks off their feet. They eat rice cereal and fruit. Slight bumps on their gums signal emerging teeth.

One the biggest changes in their daily routine occurred this week when their dad returned to work for the first time since mid-January. Jesse Carlsen's co-workers at the North Dakota Department of Transportation and other state employees donated vacation time so he could be with his family while the girls were conjoined. The twins were surgically separated May 12 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Jesse's return was quiet. One co-worker shook his hand with a hearty "welcome back," another hugged him as he cleaned out the state-issued Suburban he is assigned.

"Yeah, I'll miss the girls," he told David Stout, who works in the sign shop. "But I had to come back eventually."

As Jesse drove to a project in western Cass County, Amy settled into her day with two babies who - like many of their peers - only want their parents.

Beforehand, she perfected alternating spoonfuls of cereal into hungry mouths and propping each girl up on a pillow for simultaneous bottle feedings.

What she hasn't perfected was getting both twins to nap at the same time. Belle, nicknamed the "Energizer Baby," functions on much less sleep than her sister. At one point, Amy rocked Abby as Belle contentedly chewed on an orange plastic lion.

"Thank you for being patient," Amy told Belle.

A little while later, Amy wondered out loud whether the babies missed their dad.

Both girls continue to do well. They will return to Mayo at the end of the month for a regular checkup.

Three times a week, a physical therapist works with Abby and Belle to strengthen their trunk muscles. The twins were connected at their lower chest and abdomen. Soon they will be able to sit by themselves.