First Colds...

Both boys are sick. They basically made it to a year of age before getting ill for the first time so I'm grateful for that. But their first colds are miserable. We've got fevers, runny noses, cough & congestion, moments of being listless, moments of full on Cranky babies, etc...

Both J and I are feeling a little under the weather too. Seems like everyone I know is sick right now. Isn't this a little early in the season for colds to be starting? Starting to think we don't need playgroups or outings... do we really need friends? ;)

Let's see. What else? We have our dog Harley in dog training. Started the first class last weekend and I'm hoping that we see some improvements. She's a good dog but has been acting out more since the twins were born. She doesn't appreciate the fact that all of my time and attention is no longer focused on her. So if she could learn some basic commands and not bark or jump on people then I'd be thrilled.

For Labor Day Weekend we went to stay w/ my Brother-in-law and Sister-in-law. We had a really nice time. It was great seeing the cousins interact. They have a 2 and 4 year old and they were wonderful w/ the boys. We're going to try and visit more so they grow up knowing each other well. They'll be here for the boys first birthday and then we plan to stay w/ them for a extended Halloween weekend. I think we'll dress all four cousins as a theme. We were thinking they could all be barnyard animals or zoo animals. It would be cute b/c all the parents could be farmers or zoo keepers.

Not a whole lot going on. The boys are doing great besides having this horrible cold. Matthew is a full on walker... and Andrew is pulling up on everything. He practices all day and is finally learning how to get down correctly on his own. It used to be that he'd fall or land face first. I find both boys standing in their cribs most morning facing each other and chatting away. Its very cute. Andrew also loves to say UT OH after he drops something. Both love books so I have to refrain from buying to many. It'll be fun when they are old enough to pick a few out each week from the library. I suppose we could start that now and I could help them.

Only two weeks until they turn a year old! I can't wait. I'll be sure to post lots of pictures.

11 Months

We are just around the corner from turning a year old. I can't believe it. I just continue to be amazed at the daily progress these guys make. It's absolutely astounding. I am having so much fun w/ this stage. It's my favorite by far. I'm excited to see what the near future brings... "toddlers" but sad to leave behind having two babies. (they will always be my babies though...won't they)

Here are a few examples of how much can happen in just 24 hours that will leave you just speechless.

• Just this morning... Matthew actually took a pillow from the couch, dragged it in front of the entertainment center and then proceeded to stand on it so he could try and reach items high on a shelf that are supposed to be off-limits. Isn't that a milestone for a 2 year old? I also watched Matthew walk independently about 15 steps in a row today w/ no help. He's been doing 3-5 steps by himself for a month or two and walking while holding onto something but this is a big leap. I haven't encouraged his walking at all b/c I've been hoping to put it off just a little. I have my hands full as it is. But...looks like there is no more putting it off. So I am now officially going to encourage his walking/running and have even more chaos to attend too ;-)

• Then at lunch, Matthew decided he didn't like some of his food choices so he handed Andrew his unwanted finger foods one at a time. Matthew would either hand it to Andrew or drop it on his tray. Andrew would then pick it up and eat it and this continued through 10 or so pieces of food. It was so cute....like they were sharing.

• And just when J and I start to worry a little about Andrew's progress, he steps up and meets another milestone. Andrew is now pulling himself up into a standing position (while holding onto something). Yeah! He goes from crawling or sitting into a kneeling position and then pulls up to standing. He figured out how to do this yesterday and is now doing it non-stop. I think one challenge being a first time parent w/ twins is you don't know what "normal" is so you tend to compare them even though you don't want to. I'm fortunate to be in a baby playgroup that helps w/ this...b/c we all have babies of similar ages and most are where Andrew is in the milestone department and that calms the nerves and worries some.
  

• I have also noticed recently that Andrew is getting better and better at copying my actions. He'll shake his head no and copy me sometimes when I do it. I'll drum my hands on his highchair tray and then he'll copy me and we'll go back and forth doing it. Like we're a rock and roll band. Loads of fun...laughs all around.
  

So as far as where we're at w/ 11 months:

• Both just started wearing size 4 diapers day and night.
• We're wearing 12 month size clothing but will be moving onto 18 month sizes pretty soon.
  
• Both are drinking 3 bottles (6 oz each) of formula a day. Sippy cups of water are offered. Andrew does okay but Matthew is still not a fan of drinking from a sippy cup. My goal is to work on this so we can transition to a sippy cup in place of one or two of the bottles each day. We're eating 2-3 (usually 3) meals of solids per day. Finger foods and some pureed foods. Both boys prefer the pureed veggies over soft bite sized pieces of veggies. Other than that they love small pieces of fruit, crackers, waffles, cheese, etc....and both LOVE yougurt. Andrew will eat most anything whereas Matthew is much pickier.
• J and I have been bathing the boys together in the big soaking tub. This may have to stop b/c both like to crawl and stand in the water which can be frightful at times. So they are too big for a baby tub but too squirrelly for the actual tub itself. Maybe just hose them off in the back yard for a while :-)
  
• Nighttime has been horrible this last week. Not sure whats going on but Matthew has been waking up a lot. Maybe the reflux is still an issue? Even Andrew (my good sleeper) has woken up a few times too. They also wake each other up more often now then they used to.
• Typically Matthew starts the day before 5AM and Andrew likes to sleep in until 7:30. So lining up their schedules can be challenging. Both still go down around 7:30pm for bed.
  

I leave you w/ the photo invite I'll be sending out soon for their first birthday party. (Thanks Kirsten for the recommendation) I'm excited about having this little party. Should be fun!

Summer Fun

Playing on the Swings







Playing in the Water











Playing in the Bath




Until next time...bye

10 Months...

10 Months. They don't stay babies for very long do they? Matthew took his very first steps over a week ago. He is so advanced. They were born a month early so he was actually only 8 months 3 weeks "adjusted age" when taking his first steps. When I saw it my first reaction was "O crap...I'm not ready" Life is becoming more challenging as they become more and more mobile. My primary goal for each day is to prevent any potential harm and injuries.

Matthew can now stand unsupported. He doesn't have to hold onto anything. He walks along the furniture and has now taken his very first steps. Matthew is definitely my "spirited" baby. I know I am biased but he really is amazing at how quickly he picks up on things. He is intense and you can see the determination on his face when he wants something which is basically every second of the day. Matthews favorite activity is sitting on his Daddies shoulders in front of the mirror while Daddy sways back and forth. Matthew also melts Mommies heart when he stops in the middle of playing, crawls over and puts his arms around Mommy to give her a hug. I don't help him at all...he literally crawls over, pulls himself up on my lap to wrap his arms around me for a few seconds and then moves on. Isn't that sweet. His least favorite moments are when he sees either Mommy or Daddy leave the room. He hates that and will cry.

Matthew is finally sleeping better but still wakes up before 5AM which means it's almost impossible to keep both boys on the same schedule. Some nights are still rough and we're working w/ a pediatric gastrologist to help him w/ the reflux issues.

Andrew is an advanced crawler...cruising quickly around the room. He can go from crawling to sitting and back no problem. I think walking will be a ways off though since he's not pulling up to a standing position yet. Andrew is more laid back and easier to please. He is a wonderful sleeper and almost always sleeps from 7:30PM until 7AM. The toddlers in my exercise class adore Andrew. They always hang out near him and tickle him and make faces at him. Andrew laughs and laughs so they all think its funny. I feel bad for Matthew at times b/c they ignore him for the most part since he's much more serious and less likely to give a reaction. Matthew reserves his smiles and laughs mostly for Mommy and Daddy.

I love both of my kids with all of my heart and would not change them in any way. They are both truly amazing and J and I are blessed beyond words. I have learned though that not all parents have it the same. Meaning the temperament and personality of your child makes a big difference in how easy or difficult your days are. Not all parents with say two children have it equal. I think 3 Andrews would equal one Matthew in the amount of energy I expel each day. I can see how if both had Andrews personality I could easily handle another child or two...but w/ Matthew I would be spread way to thin. I wonder if they will continue to be this way? Those of you with older children...did their personalities as babies follow them through childhood?

And as far as me... trying to run regularly, do my exercise class most days of the week, go to weekly baby play-dates, keep up w/ friends and family and try to enjoy a few minutes of alone time w/ J whenever possible which is near impossible. Next weekend I'm trying a yoga class w/ some friends and we'll be going to a BBQ w/ the families of my exercise class. Should be fun. I feel like I've adjusted well to this new town. I've lived her only 4 months and have already settled in nicely.

And now to some pictures I took yesterday. Enjoy :-)


Matthew on left, Andrew on right





Andrew is such a flirt. He loves to smile at everyone.



Matthew is into everything!

Matthew's Messy Meals

Matthew is feeling much better these days...
Meal time seems to have turned into play time. I can't even blame the below photos on self feeding. I was spoon feeding him. He puts his fingers in his mouth and then smears the food all over his face and hair and laughs non-stop while doing it.




Did any of the food make it to your tummy?


Matthew couldn't stop laughing. Silly boy.


Off to get the second bath of the day.


All clean here. Saying hello to our furry family members.


I couldn't have a post without Andrew. He enjoys meal time too.

9+ Months...

Official stats from the boys 9 Month Well-Baby appt:

Matthew:
Weight: 19pds 12oz (approx 20-25th percentile)
Height: 29.25 inches long (75th percentile)
Head circumference: 18.25 inches (75th percentile)
Andrew:
Weight: 21pds exactly (50th percentile)
Height: 29.25 inches long (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18.25 inches (75th percentile)

Matthew now has a referral to a pediatric Gastriologist for his reflux issues. He's currently on both Prevacid and Zantac. We just started the Zantac so hopefully that helps. The poor little boy is suffering and in turn so are Mommy and Daddy. All of these sleepless nights are brutal.

I had a little bit of a nervous breakdown at/after the doctors. We had to fill out long questionnaires on what milestones the boys have met. They should have mailed it to us a week prior to fill out at home b/c I had no clue on a few of them...they were specific...like "Can your child hold on to the side of the crib standing w/out letting his body lean into the crib." Matthew passed w/ an A+ b/c he's so far advanced in every area. Andrew also did well in all areas except for gross motor skills. I told the doctor that he wasn't sitting up much and she said that was a developmental delay. That it could be that he's just a bit slower or it could mean that something bigger is going on. But she clearly said he should definitely be sitting up by now. We were told to wait a month and just observe b/c he supports his head well, rolls all over and can stand supporting his weight so he still passes the gross motor skills but just by a little. I of course couldn't let it go...and had to ask what the worse case scenario could be. She replied Muscular Dystrophy. OMG! Now shouldn't a doctor know better than to say that out loud to a anxious high strung Mom. I know I asked, but still! A better reply wound have been (It's much to early to tell so lets talk more on your next visit when we see how he's progressing).

So I'm crying & immediately get on the devil internet when we get home and look up muscular dystrophy. Which was a bad bad bad decision. No good info to be found my friends! Meanwhile Jerry has Andrew on the floor and calls me into the room. Andrew is sitting :-) In fact he was able to sit a few minutes no problem. How horrible does it sound that we hadn't practiced sitting w/ him. I would try to practice crawling but never though much of the sitting. I of course spent the next two days w/ Andrew on the floor "sitting" and he can now sit for hours on end like it's the easiest thing in the world! In fact my friends from my baby play-dates laughed at my concern when Andrew sat up for a straight hour during a baby story and song time at the library. I guess I've been a bad mommy in this department (guilt) but also a mommy trying to survive! I've just been putting Andrew in the exerciser too often. It was so easy to put Andrew in the exerciser while I dealt w/ a very fussy Matthew. Poor excuse I know. So basically it wasn't enough floor time for Andrew. He needs more practice then his brother. So its all about 24/7 floor time now. And Guess what????? Andrew crawled for the first time today! Yeah!

Did you see the pretty alphabet floor mats in the picture with Andrew? We bought enough to cover most of family room.

I am now certified in CPR. I took a CPR and First Aide class w/ a friend and we were the only two that showed up so it was great one on one attention. I also went to a presentation by Dr. Sears who wrote "The Vaccine Book". It confirmed all of my concerns about vaccinations. He isn't anti-vaccine. Just explains why you should do them slowly over a spread out schedule. So he went over each vaccination and which ones can be safely put off for a while, etc. It's a great book and I really liked him. You should read the book if you have any concerns in this area.

***I would also like to mention that I myself didn't crawl until a year and didn't walk until 17 months so I wasn't real concerned prior to this frightening appointment. And I've been a pretty decent athlete most of my life and am about to run a half marathon. No problems here. I wish we didn't have to stress over these milestones.


Andrew after lunch


Andrew surrounded by toys


Andrew enjoying his new alphabet floor mat


Matthew playing


Matthew trying to get my camera.


I think they're getting bored of the photo session.

I am Exhausted

Matthew been screaming/crying non-stop the last few days. He has also refused to nap and is waking every hour at night. I took him to the doctor yesterday and she said right away that he has bad reflux after looking at his throat. His throat is bright red. She also said that she feels confident that he has a urinary tract infection. She noted that he has a fever, bad urine odor and cried when she watched him pee. She put a bag over his privates to catch the urine that would be sent to the lab for testing. He also has two top teeth that are about to pop through. Poor guy is really suffering. Mommy is suffering too! He is now on Pre.vacid twice a day and will be put on something for the UTI once it's confirmed from the lab. I hope the medication starts to work soon.

I've actually attempted to continue my runs/workouts this week to no avail. Today I had to carry Matthew home the last two+ miles while pushing Andrew in the stroller. I think I'll take a few days off until Matthew is feeling a little better. Good thing I have a while to train for this half-Marathon.

The boys will be 9 months old in 2 days. Matthew weighed 19 pounds 14oz (22 percentile) and was 29 1/4 inches long (75th percentile) at the doctor yesterday. We'll have to wait until the well baby check-up next week to see what Andrew's stats are. I'm guessing he's the same length and 2 pounds heavier.

Isn't it funny how opposite in looks my boys are. I was asked today if they were both mine. Matthew is blonde, blue eyed, fair skin, and is thin framed. Andrew has dark brown hair, greenish/hazel eyes, olive skin and is more round. The shape of their faces are completely different as well and they have opposite personalities.



Matthew


Andrew

Nearing 9 months...

We took the boys out of town for the first time this past weekend. We had our entire SUV loaded for a quick weekend trip. It's ridiculous how much you need for two 8 month old babies. We ended up taking two pack and plays for them to sleep in. Originally we had planned on taking one big playpen and having them both sleep in it... but there is no way that would work since Matthew is standing up and crawling all over.

We stayed w/ J's brother and they watched the boys on Saturday night while J and I went to a party. I've mentioned it in a previous post. It was at a beautiful home that a friend of J's had recently built. The master bath is the size of our master bedroom. It was so nice! We socialized, enjoyed some food (especailly the dessert bar) and made it until 11:15 before getting really tired. We are usually in bed by 8:30pm so this was late for us. I'm a girl that needs my sleep :-) Plus...we're always up at the crack of dawn.

The best part of the trip was just having so many hands around to help w/ the boys. My arms got an actual rest. I spent the majority of Sunday playing w/ my niece and nephew. They are super sweet kids and it was fun to play out back and have a change from my normal routine w/ two infants. Matthew has been pretty fussy lately. He has moments when he just screams and screams and nothing you do calms him down. We worry at times that there is something wrong. I don't think it can be anything serious b/c he has many happy periods throughout the day too. Maybe he's just having a rough time w/ the teething. Teeth have been coming in like crazy. Matthew has two bottom teeth and Andrew has four teeth (2 on top and 2 on bottom).

Other than Matthew's unhappy screaming moments he's doing great. He's all about getting into everything. His crawling gets quicker everyday. He can now pull himself up to a standing position and he will put one foot in front of the other (a bit wobbly) and walk holding onto to your hands. I bet he will be taking his first steps by himself before 10 months. I've also noticed that his speech has advanced lately. He says MA MA and DA DA non-stop. I don't think it has any correlation to mama and dada. I think he's just practicing new sounds but I'd like to think he's calling my name. It does seem that he says ma ma when he's crying like he's calling for me so maybe... he is?

Andrew hasn't started to crawl yet but he's rolling all over the place. He tries to crawl but pretty much swims in place :-) Neither of my children are mellow or laid back babies but Andrew tends to be more content. If Andrew gets upset he's much easier than Matthew to comfort and distract. Andrew loves to be held and we'll sit in the recliner and cuddle throughout the day. My Matthew doesn't want to waste time being held. If I try he's wiggling to grab something or trying to crawl off my lap. He prefers that you play actively with him...throw him in the air, tickle him, etc.

Nights continue to be hit and miss. Andrew is a wonderful sleeper. He pretty much sleeps through the entire night every night. Matthew... *sigh* doesn't. Matthew wakes up many times each night and will cry out. Usually he goes right back to sleep but by then J and I have woken up and one of us usually goes in to check on him. And funny enough Matthew is my good napper. He will take two decent naps a day. A long 2 hour one in the late morning and a shorter one in the late afternoon. I think he just play so hard that he tires himself out. Andrew on the other hand fights nap time. I have to hold him until he's sleepy and he won't sleep nearly as long.

We are starting to introduce a few finger foods. Right now we are doing four bottles a day of formula and three meals. Meals still consist of pureed foods. In between we eat the puffs and little pieces of watermelon or banana. We didn't start solids until 6 months so they are really only just starting to show signs that they are ready for more texture. Before they would gag and spit it out. Now they are figuring out how to mash w/ their gums. I'm looking forward to doing more finger foods. I'm tired of all of the pureed stuff.

Oh....and new rule at our house. NO TV! I don't turn on the TV at all during the day. I started this a few weeks ago. The only exception is if they are being super fussy and I'm getting worn out... then I may put on a Signing Time DVD to give myself a short break. They are both totally transfixed by those DVD's and I really want them to learn baby sign language. I just don't want my kids staring at a TV all day and almost all TV is crap. I think we get into a habit of having the television on when we aren't even watching it. I see so many older children that don't know how to play or entertain themselves. They only want to watch television and that's sad. I see no positives in having my 8+ month old twins watching TV.




Mommy & Daddy





The boys having fun in their walkers. I rarely use them since I've heard some negative associations but figure it can't hurt once in a while.

My Feet Hurt...

I had cortisone shots in my feet today. Ouch. I have Pla.ntar Fas.ciitis which means the bands of tissue from my heels to toes are inflamed and irritated. Should get much better w/ the cortisone shots, icing after working out, extra stretching and arch supports in my shoes. My feet are a half size bigger since pre-pregnancy and my arch is a little flatter so that's mostly likely the cause. My podiatrist said I don't have to cut back on my working out which is good b/c I'm training for a half marathon that will take place in early November! I haven't exactly started the serious training yet but my stro.ller stri.des class 5 times a week is getting me in better shape so that helps. I just plan to add in extra runs during the week along w/ my class. I'm not looking to set any records or to place in my age group. Unlike another woman in my class that's wanting to place in the actual full marathon. I just want to jog the whole thing with no stopping or walking. I have a few 5k's and 10k's to run before then so that will help to.

My husband and I are now a year older. We both had our birthdays on Monday. We are now 32 and 36 years old. Starting to creep toward the big 40. I already see more signs of aging :-( so I need to work on eating extra healthy and covering up w/ lots of SPF. I'm back to drinking my miracle greens daily and I never leave the house w/out SPF 30 on my face and neck. But, I need a good daily body lotion that has SPF for my body. I'm not a fan of feeling greasy w/ an actual sunblock. It feels so gross while working out. My goals for June are to add in more running, drink more water and wear SPF on my body daily.

We are going to a big fancy party out of town on June 14th. It's from 7 to midnight so hopefully I can stay awake that late LOL We'll be staying w/ J's brother and he and his wife will watch the boys while we are at the party. Then they are having a get together the next day for Fathers Day. There will be some extended family there that have never seen the boys and it'll be fun to show them off a little. We've never taken the boys out of town so I'm still not sure on how we'll do the sleeping arrangement nor what to expect. I'm sure it will be fine and no big deal. I hope!

Oh and last week we went to Sushi making dinner. It was so fun. I learned how to make a bunch of different types of sushi rolls and then we ate our fill. Adding in mango or nectarines as an ingredient is a great taste. Yum! I'm pretty sure I could now make my own w/ little trouble. I could eat sushi everyday and never tire of it.

Almost 8 Months

We have teeth! Andrew's two bottom teeth broke through last weekend. Matthew decided he didn't want to be far behind so one of his bottom teeth came a few days later. Andrew doesn't seem any fussier than normal but Matthew seems to be in a lot of discomfort. We've had a few rough days. Poor guy.

Not a lot to say. Just enjoying each and every day. I'm afraid to blink b/c I might miss something. They are progressing and growing up so quickly.

I will leave you with some pictures. As they say...a picture is worth a million words.

Matthew


Matthew smeared Sweet Potatoes all over his face...


I Love Andrews Expression in this picture. So Funny!


Best Friends for life.


Hanging out.


Exploring the cage Mommy built to contain us.



My Andrew is constantly smiling. I just adore his big grin. Not so nice that he's laughing as his brother gets all squished in the corner :-)

Over Seven Months old...

Life is good you guys.

We're settled in to our new city and new house. I've joined a Mommy and Me group that gets together for play dates, Moms night out and they work on various charity projects, etc. I've also joined a group called Sto.ller Stri.des. These women meet 5 days week in the morning at a nearby park for a workout session. It's run by a personal trainer so you get an expert for a fraction of the cost. All of the women have stroller age children and we bring them. We warm up and then do intrevel training. Sprints, push ups, 5 minute walk, crunches, lunges, squats, a 5 minute jog, resistance band work, another 5 minute jog, leg exercises, and so forth for 60-75 minutes. There are jogging trails all around the park so we use those and the grass areas along the side... babies are kept happy (for the most part) by the constant motion and activity. It's definitely a class that is meant to get you in shape. I thought my arms were decently strong since I hold 18+ pound boys all day long but man was I wrong... those resistance band arm workouts are tough.

So I've made a friend or two already :-) (One of them is going to teach me how to make all different types of Sushi) and I even became friendly w/ a neighbor that stops by to visit a few times a week. It is so nice to have adult conversation and interaction.

I bought a Bob Revolution double jogging stroller. I absolutely love it (recommend it highly) and it was worth every cent that I paid for it. I'm hoping it'll be the last stroller I ever need. We use it for everything... So much easier than that other long caboose of a stroller that held their infant car seats.

The boys are doing great. Matthew is rolling and scooting all over the place and Andrew is rolling over more often. Both talk non-stop. I am just starting to teach them baby sign language. I bought a few DVD's and I've been reading up on how to start. So we're doing the easy noun words first. Dog, cat, bottle, bed, Daddy, Mommy, etc. After they begin to master those we'll move on to the harder words like down, more, done, hurt, etc.

I've been making some of their baby food myself. I've bought organic carrots and sweet potatoes and made big batches of those. Bananas are easy too. They still get the majority of their food from the organic jarred baby food but I'm trying to do more and more of it myself. I can't believe how much these boys can eat. Both have 4 bottles a day... each containing 5-6 0z of formula and then they get 2 or 3 solid meals a day of 2 to 3 jars w/ cereal or oatmeal mixed in. I offer a sippy cup that has mostly water and a touch of pear juice between meals. No undernourishment in this house.

I want to wish all of you a Wonderful Mothers Day! This includes all current Mothers, expectant Mothers and those of you on your journey to becoming a Mother.


Andrew


Matthew


Our New Stroller... I was just taking them out when I decided on a quick picture (Daddy was right there). Don't worry they are normally always strapped in.

Food Allergies?

Matthew has always had sensitive skin. I have to be careful w/ what wash and lotion I use or he gets a rash immediately. We've been doing solids for a month now and for the most part it was going well. Matthew is my smaller baby but he sure can eat. He loves food and can inhale two or three jars in one sitting. Part of me wonders if that is too much. The doctor says to feed them as much as they want. I think I'll slow down a little. Maybe just slow down how fast I give him the spoonfuls so he recognizes that he's full a little sooner.

Anyway...back to the reason of the post. Matthew had horrible diaper rash two weeks ago and we worked hard to get it cleared up. I'm sure it's due to the fact that he has 3 or 4 poopy diapers a day now from all of this new food. The diaper rash is gone but in its place is a terrible looking raised and bright red rash on his genitals, inner thighs and pelvic area. So is this still diaper rash? Or is it a food allergy? We've introduced a new food every 5 days. All he has had is rice cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, pears and bananas. Bananas was the latest introduction. Could it be bananas? I really have no idea and its hard to determine b/c his skin is always a little irritated from something. So I decided to just eliminate everything except rice cereal and sweet potatoes (the first two foods) and just get it all cleared up. But..its been days and it doesn't look any better. Not worse but not better. We also just started vitamin drops w/ fluoride so could it be that... AUGHHHH... no idea. I feel so bad for Matthew...poor guy. I'm allergic to everything and its been a pain in the ass my whole life so I hope I didn't pass on this crappy trait.

6 1/2 months old already...

In the last three weeks...

• I finished packing our house
• Worried about escrow actually closing... but it did and we no longer own that house. Thank goodness!!!!
  
• Had painful eye surgery. Much better now but still having a hard time using my eye. First week was absolute hell.
  
• We moved....long day w/ the moving company and the babies were very out of sorts w/ no schedule.
• I unpacked all the boxes and got us settled into this new house.
  

So its been a hectic few weeks but I'm finally starting to feel relaxed for the first time in a while. I woke up the last few mornings and just felt content. I could feed my babies, hold them and play w/ them w/out the pressure of a million things needing to get done in the back of my mind. I don't have to keep the house spotless for potential buyers...I don't have to pack up the house in 2 weeks so we'll be ready to move. It's so nice... My appetite is a little better w/ the stress off my back and I just feel so relieved that we're moved and in this new town. We are now living just 5 minutes from J's work. He used to commute 2+ hours so this is wonderful. He's home more and we're saving all of that gas money. We're also living in a great area of town and its fun to see all that we have available to us here. Beautiful parks...walking trails.... great shopping, etc.

My twins are now 6 1/2 months old. It makes me sad at times that they are growing up so quickly. I feel like they'll be driving off to college before I know it. I am having such fun w/ them and never want it to stop.

We had our 6 month check up this week so they were actually almost 6 1/2 months old. Their stats are as follows:

Andrew- 18.10 oz, 26 inches long
Matthew-16.10 oz, 26 inches long

Yesterday was the first time that they ate solid foods three times during the day. They got breakfast, lunch and dinner. They've only been eating solids now for about 3 weeks. I started w/ the rice cereal....next we tried sweet potatoes and then sweet peas. All of has gone well so far and I'll try another veggie tomorrow. They always have rice cereal for breakfast and then a veggie for lunch.... some of both for dinner. Once I know there are no allergy concerns...I'll offer them several choices at each meal.

Matthew is rolling all over the room so I've had to start baby proofing the house. Pillows now rest along my entertainment center so that he won't hit his head. He is very close to crawling. It's bound to happen any day now. Matthew loves to play and is really good at grasping things. His favorite toy is a brightly colored fish (teether). His eyes light up when he sees it. He's still quite the independent one...he can entertain himself for a long time. It's a treat when he'll cuddle up on me b/c he usually bounces or jumps up and down on my lap. And even though Matthew is my smaller baby, he is actually my better eater when it comes to solids and he can now hold his own bottle no problem. One thing I worry about is how he now always sleeps on his stomach and sometimes his face is straight down which worries me w/ the SIDS. We always put him on his back but he rolls right over. Overall Matthew is my easy baby... you take care of his basic needs and he's content.

Andrew is my sweetie pie "drama" baby. He's still very dramatic...very emotional...but such a mama's boy. That kid will scream when he wants something...such as to be held. And since he wants to be held all day long we get into a battle sometimes. He likes to cuddle and would be in my arms 24 hours a day if he had his way. This kid is so funny. He still laughs uncontrollably at times. I dance around the room w/ him and he finds it hysterical. He has the greatest laugh. It's also funny to watch him on the floor mat or in the exerciser. He pouts when he isn't getting attention... He'll look at me and smile and then a look will cross his face when I look away (but i look out the corner of my eye) and he'll pout and have trembling lips but as soon as I look at him again he'll smile. Andrew is still working on rolling over...doesn't have it down yet.

I love these guys so much.... My heart is so full. I am so very blessed. I don't know how I got soooo lucky to have such a wonderful family. I love my husband more every day as I see him interact w/ the boys. He does such a great job. J is very family oriented. I'm so thankful to have such a great partner and two beautiful sons. I just pray everyday that we all stay safe and healthy. There is never a moment that I take this for granted.