Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Filed under: what I love about you

What I love about you at 12 months, uh 1 year... oh my!

A year has come and gone. Each day seemed so long, but those weeks, months and then the year just literally seemed to fly by. Where you started out as these tiny little babies that were as close as you can be without being identical, you are now these completely individual, independent, sweet toddlers.... yes, TODDLERS! You are walking around like crazy! Here's a little glimpse into this last month of you being ZERO (as Sadie says).

  • You BOTH are walking. Sophie started right after 11 months, but it took Sydnie just a little longer. Not only can you walk, but it's so cute the way you use your arms to balance yourself. 
  • Sometimes you swing your arms back in forth when just standing like you're waiting on someone to do something.
  • You can stack things - you attempt to stack blocks, but you actually know how to stack the rings on the ring stacker. You take them off then put them back on. 
  • Sophie, you like to put her finger in her mouth. I think you does it because we are constantly putting our fingers in their mouth to check for teeth. You do it to herself, but then you also does it to other people.
  • Speaking of teeth, you girls have 1 tooth between the both of you. You have teethed for a year, and you only have 1 to show for it. :(
  • Sydnie, you love to point! You point at people in particular, especially when you see them for the first time. So cute! 
  • Maybe it was an anomoly, but Sydnie got up on the couch by herself one time. They sit up there with us a lot and they are learning how to roll on their belly and get down off the couch feet first.
  • You wear size 3 diapers and have for like the last 6 months, you itty bitty little things.  
  • I had a little red rocking chair when I was a kid that we have in our house now. The twins discovered it and love sitting and rocking. It's been challenging trying to teach them how to wait their turn. But I started saying "rock, rock" and so one twin will sit in the chair, and the other will stand behind it and help me rock. It doesn't take long for the twin sitting to lose interest and get up, and then the other twin swoops in and sits down. 
  • A couple of times I have busted you playing peekabook with the curtains where one will sit on the inside of the curtain and the other is on the outside, and one will pull it back and forth, hiding and unhiding each other. You get tickled and it's so sweet!
  • Sometimes you will feed each other little bite sized pieces of food. 
  • Your eating/drinking habits have changed a lot in the last month. You use sippy cups instead of bottles. You do not each baby food anymore. You eat three meals a day of bite sized food with a sippy cup of milk at each meal. After your afternoon naps you get a sippy cup of juice and a small snack like cheerios or puffs.
  • We had been doing half whole milk and half formula for the last month, but you are officialy on all whole milk! 
  • No more formula! No more baby food! No more bottles!!! WOOHOO!!!
  • One thing that drives me crazy about the sippy cups though is that you throw them down when you are in high chairs. When I here the cup hit the ground I swear it makes my blood pressure spike. But it does seem like you are getting better about it. 
  • For a while it seemed like Sophie was doing better with the sippys than finger food, and Sydnie was doing better with finger food than sippy cups, but that has since leveled out. 
  • Sophie seems to be a little more timid and Sydnie is a little more dominant.
  • On the flip side, Sydnie seems to be a little more snuggly and likes cuddling.
  • Sydnie is a climber! She climbs on the dishwasher, chairs, couch, the play kitchen, stairs, and anything else within her reach.
  • Not only have the twins started kissing us when we say "kisses" but they will kiss each other and Sadie. It's precious!
  • Sydnie has been pulling out one of Sadie's chairs at her table and climbing into it, turning around and sitting down. This is how they get into the rocking chair too.
  • At your 1 year appt, Sophie was almost 18 pounds and Sydnie was almost 19 pounds, and 29 inches tall.
  • Now that your hair is really starting to grow out, you both have little tiny curls in the back. Sydnie's is curlier than Sophie's.
  • Both twins know how to do the Indian call my putting their fist up their mouth, humming, and moving their hand back and forth.
  • When we leave we say "bye bye" and Sydnie will move her arm and hand back and foth to wave bye.
  • We are starting to put shoes on the twins. It is taking them a while to get used to walking with the shoes on, but they are getting it. 
  • When they see me when I'm picking them up from daycare, they get a big smile on my face and crawl/walk fast toward me standing at the door. 
  • At some point this last month we moved the twin's cribs together and they are so much happier since doing so. They go right to sleep at bedtime, so it's more of a plus in hte morning, when they wake up and "talk" to each other or pass the sea horses back and forth.
  • You are pretty true to size, just now started wearing size 12 month clothing. 
  • I've learned why it's good to buy two of all the toys... because you always want what each other is playing with, especially when there is just 1 of something. You scream, pull, and fight over toys. I wasn't expecting that this early.
  • You are intrigued by Rascal and like to touch him and pull at his hair and paws when he is laying on the couch. Sometimes you even like to give him kisses.\
  • Speaking of Rascal you are addicted to playing in his food and water bowl and yes, you've even eaten his food a couple of times. There are times when we have ot put it down so that he can eat and drink, but you always manage to get into it!
  • When you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner you either sit in your high chair in front of the TV (rarely during breakfast when I need to get ready for work) or in the clip on seats that are attached to the dining room table. You love to try to stand up in the seats so we look at you, point and say "Sydnie sit down!" (It's always Sydnie; Sophie is a content eater.)
  • You are eating things like oranges, bananas, puffs, cheerios, diced ham, cheese, chicken, rice, mac and cheese, noodles, green beans, strawberries, grapes, and other baby type of finger foods. You always make a mess but I just keep telling myself that you will get better at it... eventually.
  • Not sure how it started, but you love to crawl into the rolling drawers under the train table to play with all the toys. You get in and out, in and out....
  • You are not scared of anyone.. even the big bad doctor and nurses that give you shots.
  • And while you aren't afraid of anyone, you do sometimes get separation anxiety when we put you down to play or you see us leave the room.
  • You are both ticklish and your little laughs are so cute and infectious.
  • Sophie says Mama, Dada, and Ball. Sometimes we think you are saying Thank You even though it doesn't sound exactly like that. 
  • Sydnie also says Mama, Dada, Bye Bye, UhOh and Thank You.
  • Your sleep patterns are amazing. You go to bed between 7 and 8 and usually sleep until about 6:30 or 7. You nap in the morning (usually) between 9:30 and 10:30 and then in the afternoon around 1 or 1:30 for an hour or two.
  • The reaction we get from you when we enter your room in the mornings is priceless.. you are so happy!

What an amazing, hard, funny, intersting ride this last year has been. I'm excited for you to grow older, learn new things and meet new people, and I'm excited to see what all this next year has in store for us! 

What I love about you at 11 months...

I can't believe that in one short month you will be one year. It's amazing how fast (and slow sometimes) it goes by. This month had a lot of changes for you, and while we are still transitioning on things, you're doing so well! I'm going to try extra hard to snuggle you as much as possible this last month, the last month of being ZERO, as Sadie says.

  • You are taking steps all on your own, but I wouldn't exactly say you are walking. You can both stand up without pulling up on anything or holding on, and just stand there. Sophie will take anywhere between 2-5 steps, but then sit back down. Sydnie just doesn't seem to care as much, although she loves to push the car or shopping cart around - it never gets old for her.
  • Sydnie loves to crawl too... and now she has mixed it up with what I like to call the "crab crawl" where she "walks" but on all 4s. It's pretty cute to see.
  • We are still doing whole milk mixed in with your formula bottles... about half and half now. Very rarely you'll spit up, but I'm not sure if this is from the milk or not.
  • We are trying to get you to take some of your bottles from a sippy cup, although it's been slow going. You are learning how it all works, and will take a couple of sips out of it, but then kind of give up. 
  • I've noticed that Sophie does much better with the sippy cup, but not so good with picking up and eating finger foods, but Sydnie is the opposite. She's not as good with a sippy, but great at picking up food and getting it to her mouth.
  • We've been introducing more solids/finger foods too... banana, bagels, crackers, goldfish, ham, chicken, cheese, oranges, strawberries, grapes, yogurt, peaches, waffles, pancakes, and cereal, as well as the usual puffs and mum-mums. 
  • We went to the beach this month for Memorial Day, and we all had so much fun! We drove at night on the way there so that you could sleep and we wouldn't have to stop. I was worried since you are both tummy sleepers, but you did great. Once we got there at 1:00am you were awake and ready to play though so we had to work a little bit to get you back to sleep. Over the course of the trip we went to the beach everyday - you loved to play in the baby pool, play with shells and go out into the ocean. We went out to eat every night and you did great.
  • While we were at the beach, we started to modify your schedule a bit. You'd get a bottle when you woke up (around 6:30 or 7), then breakfast solids shortly after (baby food, puffs, cereal, bagel, bananas, etc.) Then we'd hed over to the beach, where you actually napped there in the mornings, either in the tent or in our arms! When you'd wake up you'd have a lunch bottle and some puffs. We headed back to the trailer for afternoon naps. You would get some juice after nap, and then a milk sippy cup at dinner time. We'd top you off with a milk bottle before bed too. 
  • When we got back home we are trying to stick to the same schedule as the beach, but sometimes you end up getting 4 bottles/sippys, and sometimes it's just 3. I think in time it will all work itself out.
  • In the mornings, you wake up around 5:30 or 6, and very rarely sleep until 7:00. And you aren't exactly the happiest babies when you wake up either. Sometimes you'll babble and talk to yourself, but most of the time you cry until we get you out. I'm not sure what that is all about, but I'm hoping it's something you'll grow out of.
  • You don't really like to share with each other yet. If one of you has a toy, the other one will try and take it away, which makes you really mad. And you cry, and scream... really loud. I know that most babies don't have to constantly fight over toys so I try and remember that you'll soon figure out that you can share and play with different things. 
  • There are some times though where you will each be in different areas of a room, happily playing with different toys... these moments are really precious.
  • You don't like to wear shoes, but now that you are learning how to walk, I think we have to start putting them on you more often so you can get used to them.
  • Sometimes you just want to be held and are NOT happy when we put you down. But because there are two of you, sometimes holding you isn't an option. I hate hearing you cry because you just want us to hold you, but I have to get things done sometimes. 
  • This month has been interesting because I can see that you are really learning. I love watching the cognitive development, like picking a onsie up off the floor and putting it in the hamper, because you know that's where they are supposed to go. There have been a lot of little moments like that where I think to myself or say to Daddy "Did you see her do that? That's amazing!" 
  • We have Sadie's play kitchen in the bonus room and you love to play with it and the toy food.
  • Before we went ot the beach we had a tent setup in the bonus room and filled it with plastic balls, you both loved playing in it too. That was actually the very first thing that Sydnie would do in the mornings is crawl over to the ball tent and get in. 
  • You don't really care for the TV. I'll try and put it on a cartoon like Mickey Mouse or Bubble Guppies and you might watch for a minute, but then continue on with whatever you were doing. 
  • If we sit down in the floor to play with you, you instantly find your way to us and crawl into our lap.
  • At first you did really good with laying your head down on the boppy and eating you bottle, but I think now you either get too distracted or you just want to situp and eat. Either way it absolutely drives me crazy because you end up holding your bottle upside down and it leaks all over the place. I'm usually holding and feeding one of you when this happens to it's almost impossible for me to get to you/the bottle to stop it. Did I mention that this drives me bonkers when you do this??? :)
  • You like to play the same cabinet and utensil drawer that Sadie did when she was your age. These are great distractions when we are trying to fix meals or do dishes in the kitchen.
  • Sadie LOVES you. You are her babies (MY BABIES!). She has to give you hugs and kisses before every nap and at bedtime or she cries and says "but I didn't give her hug and kiss". She loves to hold you and try to feed you. She likes to pick up your toys when you drop them, and even likes to tattle on you when you are doing things you shouldn't be, like eating Rascals food, playing in his water bowl, or not sharing. 
  • You do really well at daycare although it's taken some time to get your schedule figured out there since you usually only take one nap there (afternoon). The only thing is that the teachers (Miss Anna and Miss Hannah) say you scream... LOUD! Especially when you have a toy taken away from you or you want to be picked up. We have to work on this because it drives mommy crazy too.

Well, it truly has been a great month and I'll be back next month writing about you turning 1! CRAZZZZY! 

 

What I love about you at 10 months....

Your first double digit month! It's been a really great month. The weather has gotten warmer so it's been nice to get outside more. You have really grown up a lot this past month. You respond to your names are even starting to grasp certain concepts like yes and no and when I have bottle it's time to eat. I'm a little sad that you're growing so fast, but I love that you're becoming such BIG little ladies. You are precious and I love seeing your smiling faces every single day. To know that I have 3 little girls makes me feel so blessed. I love you more each day and want nothing more than to see you happy. 

  • You had your first Easter, and even though we forgot to take you to see the Easter Bunny (#parentfail) you had a great time at church, at Mimi and Papaw's house where we also celebrated B's birthday and you tried icing from the cookie cake!, and at Susie and Eric's house. 
  • Well, like I mentioned in the last post, at 9 months we started sleep training... and it actually worked! After 5-6 nights of crying it out, you now sleep through the night 11-12 hours straight. (7pm - 6 or 7am) You have slept through the night completely for the last month! 
  • When you do wake up in the morning, sometimes you cry, but most of the time you are just "talking" to each other. When we open the door to get you out you stand up, get really happy and bounce up and down in your crib... Love it! 
  • And thanks to the wonderful sleep you're getting, your daytime routine has really fallen into place. Wake at 6:30 or 7, bottle at 7/7:30, breakfast solids at 8:30, nap around 9/9:30, bottle at 10:30, lunch solids at 11:30, nap at 1/1:30, bottle when you wake up, dinner solids at 5/5:30 and then a bottle before bed at 6:45/7. The only thing that will make it even better is when your solids are at the same time as your bottle and the day isn't so broken up.... soon!
  • You generally take naps at 9/9:30 and 1/1:30.
  • Sophie likes to sway when she hears music... but Sydnie never does, which I find REALLY interesting!
  • When we sit down on the floor, you love to crawl right for us, moaning and groaning the whole way (think zombies sounds)
  • You still don't have any teeth. :(
  • We are still introducing you to table food – you like oranges, grapes and crackers. But we are kind of lazy about it because you like mum-mums and puffs way too much!
  • After your 9 month check up, we were given the green light to introduce you to whole milk. We put 1-2 oz of whole milk in each bottle!
  • We have started using Aquafor on your face and it has helped your bumpy skin so much.
  • In the mornings, after we change diapers we put you in the floor, pull out the big rolling bin of you toys and you go to town pulling them all out. Keeps you content for a few minutes at least. 
  • You say two "words" - mama and dada, and even though dada came first, mama came right after. :) 
  • Now that you are pros at holding your own bottles, feeding time has gotten SO much easier. If there is just one of us, we usually just lay one of you down on a boppy so you can feed yourself and then we feed the other. This has been gamechanging!
  • You are pretty much over the exersaucer, but still enjoy the jenny jumper! You sometimes even push around a walker or the laundry basket. 
  • You cruise around furnitute like a breeze, sometimes getting from one end of a room to the other without ever crawling or sitting down. 
  • Most of the time you pull up on something to stand, but you're also able to stand up all on your own and let go! You only do it for 4-5 seconds at a time, but it's only a matter of time before you perfect your balance and realize you can take steps!
  • You hate being constrained... high chair, car seat, strollers, even being held in someone's lap for extended periods of time. You like to be on the go and moving around! However, there have been some times where you've been in your stroller for extended periods of time (Panoply and the Bloomin' Festival) and you actually did really well, even drinking your bottles on your own!
  • You shake your heads no and yes, usually in sync, and it's adorable. I *think* that you've even started shaking it no, when we tell you "no" - like when you are making a beeline for the dog bowl. It's hard to believe that you are starting to comprehend concepts like this.
  • Boy, if I thought you were wiggle worms last month, this month you are twice as bad. Changing and dressing you is impossible, I'm just thankful that onsies are easier to put on than the footies... and shorts and shirts, and dresses are even easier. Thank you warm weather! 
  • You hate shoes. Period.
  • You love playing with toys right now... balls, rattles, blocks, musical instruments, activity tables, the play kitchen, food and dishes... and anything of Sadie's. 
  • You had your first night away from home! (4/28/12) - you stayed with Mimi and Papaw. You slept so good and were on your best behavior! YAY!
  • You put EVERYTHING in your mouth! If there is anything on the floor that shouldn't be you put it in your mouth. Grass and rocks outside. And as much as I hate to admit it, even dog food. If you are in the kitchen you go straight for the dog bowl. 
  • You are intrigued by Rascal. You like to let him kiss you on the mouth, but as we learned with Sadie, there's really no way to prevent this.... and she turned out just fine. 
  • We have planned and are so excited about our beach trip this month... you are going to have so much fun!
  • You love it when Sadie plays with you. You get so tickled when she takes toys from you (and will hate the day when this actually makes you scream or cry). She can make you laugh just by looking at you, smiling at you or jumping up and down. These are some of the best moments right now. You also love being in her room... I think this is something that will continue for a long time. :) 
  • Daddy changed the car seats in his car from the infant/bucket seats to convertible seats.. what big girls! 
  • You love going to school and church, and so far we haven't really witnessed any separation anxiety. And you definitely love all of your family... you go to them easily!
  • While bath time is tricky with 3 girls, you all love it! You realize that you can move your arms around a lot and make big splashes... not so fun for mommy and daddy! :) 

What I love about you at 9 months...

You are officially closer to being a year old than you are 6 months old... Crazy! This last month really flew by! (I know I say that every month, but I really mean it this month) You are more mobile and your little personalities continue to shine each day. Although it's been hard raising two babies at one time, you aren't going to be babies for much longer and that makes me a little sad. I have to really slow down and enjoy all these little "baby" things you do.

  • The stats from your 9 month checkup:
    Sophie: 16lbs 3oz, 27 inches, 17.5" head circumfrence
    Sydnie: 17lbs 11oz, 27.25 inches, 17.5" head circumfrence
  • You are crawling everywhere, pulling up and even taking some small steps while holding onto things. You transition really well from standing to sitting. 
  • I love going from room to room and hearing you follow me... clop, clop, clop.
  • I call you my "wiggle worms" because you WILL NOT LAY STILL when trying to change your diaper or dress you. 
  • Sophie likes to repeat... if I grunt, she grunt. It's precious.
  • We have had an unseasonably warm end of winter and spring so you are already wearing summer clothes, which look adorable on you!
  • Sydnie makes kissy noises and will usually repeat if I do it first. 
  • You moved up into the creeper room at daycare... bittersweet because I know you need the extra room and friends to play with but we love Miss Amanda and Miss Amie so much! I hope your new teachers take just as good of care of you as they did.
  • You were not sleeping good at night at all we have officially started sleep training with you. The first two nights went pretty good, the third night went great, so we'll just have to see how the rest of it goes... I'm optimistic though and looking forward to a good night's sleep! 
  • You are finally healthy! Your 7th month was full of sickness, but now you're both healthy and happy!
  • Since it's been warm we've been able to do more with you like go to the park, take walks, sit out on a blanket in the backyard and use the stroller. You enjoy being outside and it helps break up the sometimes long days or being inside. 
  • You love taking baths with Sadie... and I love seeing all three of my girls getting clean in the tub together. I take pictures every time!
  • In my car we switched you from infant car seats to convertible car seats... you were getting heavy!
  • You like to fight over toys... I guess it's because we don't really have two of everything so when one picks up a toy the other one immediately wants it. Sometimes you lay all over each other trying to get to something the other has. Sometimes it's cute and sometimes it's frustrating... I just want you to get along! :)
  • Your laughs are amazing and although you aren't as ticklish as Sadie was at this age, it's amazing when we find the spot and get you going!
  • Now that you are in convertible seats, it's been interesting getting you in and out of daycare. I get Sadie out of the car first, then use a front carrier to hold one of you and then hold the other one on my hip and just pray that someone opens the door for me. :)
  • Your naps have really fallen into place and you take two naps a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, usually the same time Sadie does.
  • You are doing pretty good with baby food and we have been trying some firmer solids like pieces of grape, mums and puffs... we are letting you try and pick them up off the highchair tray. You pick it up pretty good, but then you have no idea what to do with it.
  • We have also started introducing sippy cups... you are trying to get the hang of them but prefer to gnaw on the end of them. 
  • Although we rarely go anywhere (it's just the truth of having 3 kids under 3) you have been sitting in high chairs at restaurants and grocery carts... what big girls!
  • Your schedule is still a little wonky but I'm hoping that the sleep training helps fix that. When you wake up you get a bottle, then breakfast solides early morning. Bottle mid morning, lunch solids at lunch, afternoon bottle, dinner solids, then a bottle before bed. It seems to work pretty well the only issue is when you wake up pretty early (5am) it kind of throws off the whole day.
  • You go to sleep really quickly most of the time, for naps and at bedtime. There is very little CIO involved when first putting you down... it's during the middle of the night when you wake up and want to eat (most likely just a habit) that you have trouble getting back to sleep.
  • I am so excited that it's going to be staying light outside at night for longer... that means more opportunities to get outside with you!
  • Sadie continues to call you "my babies" - she loves you so much and gives you kisses any chance she gets.
  • You had your first real babysitter this month... Miss Amanda from daycare came over and babysat you all day while Drew and I spend the day with Sadie. She said you did so good for her!

What I love about you at 8 months....

Girls, this last month has been a doozie. You went from being such good sleepers, to occasionally waking during the night, to just completely throwing us for a loop and UP ALL NIGHT sessions. What is going on??? This last month has also been full of sickness.... RSV, upper respiratory infection, ear infections, cough, colds... we just can't seem to get everyone well, which I think probably contributes to the sleep issues. Regardless of how much you keep us up at night, we still love the heck out of you and think you are quite possibly the sweetest twins ever.

  • At the beginning of this month when you first started getting sick, I took you to the doctor. We saw a different doctor and she encouraged us to stop swaddling and break pacis for good if it seemed like you were ready for that... we stop swaddling soon after and quit giving you the paci too.... you transitioned from both pretty well! And it makes me feel good that the paci is one battle we won't have to face down the road!
  • Even though your sleep has been throwing us for a loop, you've actually had a couple of nights where you both slept through all night.... mommy and daddy thank you for letting us get some much needed sleep!
  • On some of the worst nights, I actually bring you into bed with me if you have trouble getting back to sleep after your bottle... I know it's not a good habit to start, but it seems like the best alternative since we don't want to wake up the other twin or big sister.
  • You are officially sleeping on your tummies, now that you aren't being swaddled anymore. It's so cute to see you roll over, pull your knees up to your chest and snuggle into bed.
  • You are pretty good about going right to sleep at night. The most you really ever have to cry it out is 3-4 minutes. 
  • You started this month being able to army man crawl. Sophie would do it all the time, whereas Sydnie was a little more content just sitting and playing. But about halfway into the month you girls started crawling for real! First Sophie, and then Sydnie a couple of days later! We're in trouble now! 
  • You girls eat 4 times a day, sometimes 5 if you wake up early to eat, usually around 4-6 oz at a time. Your schedule alternates with solids and bottle. (Bottle, breakfast - oatmeal/applesauce, bottle, lunch - veggies, bottle, dinner - cereal/fruit/applesauce, bottle)
  • You are getting so big that you're starting to hold you're own bottle to eat! Now that will be a glorious day when I can just hand you a bottle/sippy cup and you can do it all yourself! 
  • More often than not, Sophie gets called "Soph" and Sydnie gets called "Syd" and together they are "Syd and Soph" :)
  • When you aren't sick, you really are pretty happy babies. You get fussy at the appropriate times - when you're hungry, tired, or just want to be picked and held. Sometimes I feel bad that you will never have that concentrated one-on-one time that we gave Sadie at this age, but with three little girls it just isn't possible. And you are pretty patient most of the time, but when you want to be held, you WANT TO BE HELD! :)
  • I love photographing you... you are so photogenic!
  • You get carried on the hip alot and even try to put your arm around our neck.
  • You are obsessed with pulling hair and my necklaces... and you sure do have a grip!
  • You are starting to babble a lot! We will babble first and then you'll babble to try and mimic us - it's so cute! I may have even heard "da-da-da-da" in there somewhere. :(
  • I spent a day at home with Sydnie when she was too sick to go to school - it was an awesome day with lots of quality time just for her. It's such a weird feeling, just having one to take care of. I wondered how the girls would do apart, but they did great.
  • One of the most frustrating things you do is motorboating when we are trying to feed you... or when you sneeze right as we've gotten a bite of cereal in your mouth... what a mess!
  • Your cousins came into town this month... you loved playing with your cousin Joshua, who is only 3 months older than you!
  • You still don't have any teeth, although you act like they are going to pop through any day now.
  • You are pulling up a lot now, which is usually followed by falling over, hitting your head and crying... but you are learning and it's so awesome to see that.
  • Sadie loves you girls more each month. Now that you are starting to interact with her, she loves it. She can make you laugh too, which puts the biggest smile on my face. She loves to try and bathe you, pick up your toys, give you teething rings.
  • You usually sit in your high chairs at the "big table" while we eat our dinner... it's nice to be able to have a meal all together like that.
  • Now that you are crawling everywhere, we had to find a place to corral you. We used baby gates to make a "playroom" in the foyer of the house, next to the closet. It's small and you can only tolerate it for short amounts of time, but it works when we need to get a shower or cook in the kitchen.
  • Now that you can sit really good, we will put all three of you in the bath together... talk about fun!
  • You love when we sing songs like "Happy if you know it" and "Wheels on the Bus"... you bounce up and down, smile and actually clap your hands!
  • Some of your favorite toys right now are activity table, balls, the 2-in-1 car/push toy, the jenny jumper, exersaucer, kitchen utensils, any of Sadie's toys, noise makers, etc.
  • We are still trying to figure out your nap schedule, but it's hard when you don't wake up at the same time every morning. It's like we are having to relearn everything each day. And you also dropped swaddles at naptime too... so we are offically done with swaddles!!
  • Your hair is really starting to grow! It hangs over your ears which I think is so precious! 
  • During your multiple doctor visits when you were sick, you both got weighed and were a little over 16lbs. each - so it seems like you are pretty petite for your age, especially considering you still comfortably fit in your 6 month clothes.

This month saw a lot of changes for you girls, but I can't help but feel that next month will be even more different that this one!

 

What I love about you at 7 months...

Boy, time is just flying by! 7 months already. Crazy.

Here is a small list of all the things I love about you at 7 months:

  • You chew on your fingers all the time, and anything else you can get your hands on.
  • You reach out for stuff - like toys, blankets, everything
  • Sophie has started clapping her hands together when she gets excited
  • You both know your name, and when you hear it you turn around
  • Sleep issues still plague us, along with an ear infection (Sophie) and an upper respiratory infection (Sydnie). You just wake up at random times during the night and can't get yourself back to sleep without being held or fed. And sometimes you won't go back to sleep at all and Daddy has to drive you around in the car. It's been a long 2 weeks. 
  • We still swaddle you at night, but I'm thinking that has to go soon. You easily roll over in your sleep and it just seems like you should be able to move around freely. But it's scary thinking about how you'll do without being swaddled.
  • Your hair is really growing in! Sydnie's sweeps to the side, and Sophie's shoots out straight like Sadie's did at this age.
  • You can both sit unsupported now which is so great! You are much happier babies being able to sit on your own and play.
  • You are still getting cereal for dinner, but now you also get cereal in the morning and some veggies at lunch.
  • You love playing with toys... rattles, crinkle books, things with flashing lights. But your favorite is the big tub of large blocks that Sadie got for her birthday! 
  • I think the pacifier days are numbered too. Not only do you rarely ever need them, but if you do need it, you rarely want it, which I guess is good but can be frustrating (especially at night when we are trying to get you back to sleep.)
  • You are such good babies and really only cry for 3 things: if you're tired of doing whatever you're doing, you're hungry, or just tired and ready to sleep. This is such a blessing to us.
  • You can bear all of your weight on your legs for a decent amount of time. We can even stand you up on the side of the ottoman and you can hold on all by yourself.
  • Sometimes you get on each others nerves when you are in the pack-n-play playing together. Sophie really only wants the toys that Sydnie is playing with and she even steals them from her. We keep telling Sydnie to stand up for herself and not let Sophie push her around. 
  • Sadie loves you and you love Sadie! You laugh at her all the time, especially when she hops around like a bunny or frog.
  • You are napping in your cribs!!! I know it took a little getting used to, but this has been really great for Daddy who watches you during the day. Now him and Sadie can play loud and not worry about waking you up.
  • Sophie smiles just like Daddy (and looks like him too) - a big open mouth smile! It's contagious! 
  • Sophie has actually gotten to where she can get from her bottom to all fours, and then rock back and forth. I think she'll be crawling within the next month!
  • You are very easily distracted while getting your diaper changed and taking a bottle - you wiggle around, and twist and turn like crazy and it makes it really hard on us. 
  • You officially outgrew the bouncy seats and bumbos... I think the infant car seats are next.
  • You love playing in the exersaucer, with toys in the pack-n-play, and the Jenny jumper. You also like just sitting in the floor on the rug, and scooting around on your tummy on the hardwood floors.
  • You live in footed sleeper outfits. They are just so easy and warm, that it's just not worth it to us to dress you in real outfits (and plus, when you used to spit up all the time, these were the easiest to change on you). I figure that when it gets a little warmer outside you'll be back to wearing precious little onsies and dresses. 
  • You have no teeth, wear a size 2 diaper, and drink about 6 oz. every 3-4 hours from a bottle (still on slow nipple but about to change to the medium).
  • Your eyes are still blue (yay!) and hair is a dark blonde.
  • Most people can tell you apart by now. I think part of that is just a learning curve, but I also think that you look more different now than you ever have. Very very rarely do we confuse you.
  • You do really good at daycare and most of the time they tell me that you have really good days. You usually fall asleep in the car on the car ride home and wake up in time for your cereal dinner at 6, then last bottle at 7.
  • You struggle with patience, but I understand why. When both of you are upset or tired and we can only tend to one of you, you see that and get upset. I'm sure you are wondering "why not me?" but I think as you get older that will get a little easier once you understand that most of the time it's two against one. (PS-Sadie has been so patient and polite, which makes it all so much easier!)

I can't wait to see what the 8 month mark has in store for us... I fear crawling is next on the list! 

What I love about you at 6 months...

It's already been 6 months?!? Half a year?!? I can't believe it honestly. Sometimes it feels like we were just in the hospital for your birth and other times it feels like you've always been with us, a part of the family.

People always ask me "are you starting to see their different personalities yet?" and this is the first month that I feel like I can actually say yes. Your little personalities are starting to shine through and I love watching you change and grow into your own. 
  • We can put you down on the floor and you can sit on your own for a little while (about a minute) before falling over... but pretty soon you'll be able to all on your own. And we all know what comes after that! (EEK!)
  • You can't stand to have shoes on and it seems every time I put them on you find someway to get them off.
  • Sadie loves you girls so much! She even calls you her babies. She picks up toys for you when you drop them and give you kisses before bed every night.
  • You love to have your hands on everything – toys, clothes, hair, everything. You pick it up, turn it around, look at it, put it in your mouth... you are easily fascinated.
  • You still take you're pacifiers when you're taking a nap and sleeping at night. Frequently (more than I would like) you wake up in the middle of the night just to have your paci put back in. We are going to start putting you down to sleep without pacis and see if we can gradually ween you off of them. 
  • You kick your legs like crazy and it looks like you are trying to run (Sophie more than Sydnie)
  • Like to run your fingernails across things, especially when you are laying on the changing table. You also like to look at and touch the afghan on the couch in your nursery.
  • Right now you eat 4-5 times a day and are getting cereal on some mornings and cereal every night before your last bottle. Your bottles are around 6oz. and you usually drink it all or leave an ounce.
  • You still don't have any teeth, but with the way you chomp on your fingers I have a feeling they are just right around the corner. 
  • You wake up somewhere between 6-7 and go to sleep around 7 every night. 
  • Sydnie is definitely the better sleeper between the two, usually sleeping all nighy without waking. Sophie tends to wake up once or twice wanting her paci. 
  • We still swaddle you at night, although I think that is probably coming to and end soon since you're strong enough to roll over in your sleep, even when swaddled.
  • Some of your favorite toys are the Sophie giraffes, taggie blanket, rattles and the ferris wheel looking toy that sunctions to the bumbo tray.
  • During the day you play in your bumbos, exersaucer, jenny jumper, pack-n-play and bouncy seats. 
  • We usually give you a bath every other night. Right now we still do them in the baby batt at the kitchen sink, but once you start sitting up we will be able to do them in the inflatable bathtub! You also never cry during bath time, and I think you like getting baths as much as Sadie did/does, which I love!
  • Spitting up occurs much less now and you can usually wear the same outfit all day long! YAY!
  • You can put your weight on your legs when we hold you up
  • You babble a lot, especially when you wake up in the mornings
  • You love to laugh! There are some things that I can do like tickle you and make funny noises that make you belly laugh. My children's laughter is hands down the best sound I could ever hear!
  • We took our first day trip to the Chattanooga Aqaurium. We left at 9am, you slept on the way there, you ate right when we got there, we toured the aquarium for 3 hours, ate again when we got done, and slept on the way back home... it was perfect. I was amazed at how well you handled being in your car seats all day.
  • You are the healthiest babies ever (knock on wood)... aside from some runny noses and loose stools, you've never been sick.
  • You love to squirm around when you get tired of an activity. We are probably going to have to quit using the bumbo seats pretty soon for that reason. Not sure how much longer they will be safe to use.
  • Your 6 month checkup is this week and I can't wait to see how much you weigh and how long you are. My prediction is around 16.5 lbs and 26 inches long. We'll see!

What I love about you at 5 months...

Only two weeks late this time... I blame it on the craziness of the holidays!

You girls are getting so big and becoming so much fun to be around. You rarely cry, unless you are tired or hungry, and even though don't have a lot of distinguidhing characteristics yet, I can see a little personality starting to shine through. Here's what I love about you at 5 months.
  • You're both rolling over all the time. It's more like instinct wih Sophie and she pretty much rolls over anytime she gets put on her back. Sydnie rolls over sometimes, but not instantly like Sophie.
  • Neither one of you like laying down for long periods of time anymore (or sometimes for short periods of time either)... you like to be held, be in bumbo seats or in the activity seat.
  • We put the Jenny Jumper up and you both really enjoy it. You don't move around in it a lot but you're pretty content in it for a little while.
  • We get you out sometimes, like Rosie's for a friend's birthday and you both were so good the whole time!
  • We split you up for the first time ever... I took Sophie to the grocery store and Sydnie stayed home with Drew. It was really weird having just one baby at a time but neither of you seemed to mind.
  • Around 4 and half months, you both started waking up in a half-awake half-asleep state where you just kind of moaned and babbled. I read online about this happening at 4 months and that you needed to learn to put yourselves back to sleep... it seemed to work because a couple of nights later you stopped doing it.
  • Thanksgiving was really great. We celebrated at Mimi and Papaw's house and you actually got your first Christmas presents since uncles and cousins won't be here for Christmas. You got an activity table and some other toys. You were so good all day long.
  • You spit up all the time still and I just have to keep saying to myself that "this too shall pass"... I hope.
  • We started feeding you cereal and although you're doing good, you still haven't "gotten it"
  • We switched you to the gentile version of the Sam's brand formula, hoping that it would help your spitup... it didn't.
  • It did however give you really bad diarhhea for about 2 weeks... yay!
  • You still take formula, about 25-30oz a day.
  • Your schedule goes like this: 5:30 or 6am: 6oz bottle, 9am: 6oz bottle, 12pm: 6oz bottle, 3pm: 6oz bottle, 6pm: 2-3 tablespoons of rice cereal, 7-7:30pm: 4oz. 
  • You are starting to hold things really well.... rattles, toys... mommy's hair!
  • It's interesting to see things hold your attention, especially when you are in the activity jumperoo. 
  • we hung rattles on your car seats and you love to swat at the them and chew on them.
  • Your hair is definitely blonde and it's starting to come in a little bit. Sydnie tends to sweep to side, and Sophie's reminds me of Sadie's how it comes straight out.
  • Sophie reminds me a lot of Sadie when she was this age. Sydnie is a good mix of people... I constantly see some Lizzy, Livi and Tyler in her. 

This next month is going to be interesting... Christmas!

Sophie & Sydnie: What I love about you at 4 months...

The one thing I was to mention first is how good you babies are. Seriously, you are so happy and content and remind me so much of Sadie when she was this age. People are amazed when they meet you and say "are they always this good?" My answer is "yes!"

I went back to work full-time this month so it's been hard not getting to spend as much time with you. But I know that you're doing great when you're home with Daddy and on the days you go to daycare. The favorite part of my day is getting of work and getting to see your smiling faces. 

Here's the short list of all the things I love about you at 4 months...

  • We had a really great trip to the beach. We drove at night on the way down there and you slept the whole time! There wasn't a lot you could do but you still had a good time.
  • You are sitting when supported and that is really cool to see - you have awesome head control!
  • Everyone thinks you look exactly alike, but I don't see it. I know I'm your momma and I'm supposed to be able to tell you apart, but you look very different to me.
  • Sophie looks more like Sadie when she was little. 
  • When you are in your crib or on your activity mat, you find each other's hands to hold onto. It's absolutely precious. 
  • Since you are getting to be more awake during the day, we have to find creative ways to entertain you. You spend time in your bouncy seats (although you're starting to like them less and less), the activity mat, the swing, and your bumbo seats. And you really like being in your highchair seats too.
  • Your hair is definitley starting to come in more. Sophie's looks like it's going to be a lot like Sadie's was (stick straight out) but Sydnie's needs to swoop to the side. 
  • Your hair is still blonde and eyes still blue... you're beautiful!
  • On October 15th (3 months and 1 week) Sydnie giggled outloud. It was adorable!
  • You've started staying in the church nursery on Sunday mornings and you do really good!
  • You also started daycare on Oct. 18th and again, the ladies said you were so content, and didn't even cry! (I didn't believe them but that's what they said!)
  • When you aren't at daycare, all 3 of you are at home with daddy.... he is such a patient and loving daddy and you all have a lot of fun together. You must completely exhaust him though, based on the "thank goodness you're home" looks I get when I walk in the door.
  • We've been going to our friends' house to watch some of the Alabama night games. We put you down to sleep in a pack-n-play there and then transport you to your car seats and then home when the games get over around 10 or 11. You girls never even fuss and go right back to sleep (if you ever even woke up) as soon as we get home.
  • Around Halloween, Sophie started reaching out and touching things like rattles hanging from her car seat. Sydnie followed right behind her doing it soon after. (this little milestone completely amazed me!)
  • You are such beautiful girls... all it takes it me smiling at you for you to smile back at it and it just makes me so happy.
  • Mimi and Papaw watched you on Halloween night while we took Sadie out trick-or-treating. Before we left though we dressed you up like little kitty-cats. You were adorable next to your bumble bee sister!
  • You have about 5 (on the rare occasion 6) bottles a day, each one between 5-6 oz. You schedule is usually eating at 6, 9, 12, 3, and then 7.
  • On Nov. 4th we gave you rice cereal for the first time, before your last bottle. You actually did really well!
  • The only complaint I have is that you both spit up ALL THE TIME. Again, just like Sadie. It doesn't bother or hurt you and Doctor E said that you'll grow out of it the more solids you start eating. Thank goodness because I'm tired of having you wear bibs all the time.
  • You actually enjoy having baths. You really don't even cry until we get you on the changing table and I think that's because you get cold. 
  • You are sleeping through the night completely. We feed you your last bottle between 7-7:30 and you are down by 8 at the latest. You sleep until 5 or 6!
  • You still sleep swaddled, right next to each other in the same crib. We usually just lay you in your crib and you fall right to sleep... no fussing. You're amazing!
  • When you wake up in the morning, you actually "talk" instead of cry. It's a beautiful sound to wake up to.
  • You both have certain spots up by collar bones that I can tickle that make you giggle... I love hearing that sound!
  • On your 4 month birthday, Sophie rolled over! She waited until I got home from work and then just rolled right over. It was very emotional since I'm always afraid I'm going to miss things when I'm at work.
  • On the morning of your 4 month checkup, Sydnie rolled over too! 
  • At your 4 month checkup, Sophie weight 12lbs. 7 oz and Sydnie weighed 12lbs. 15oz. And you were both about 24 inches long. Doctor E says you're right on track and completely healthy. He is amazed (but happy) that you haven't even been sick yet!

We had a lot of changes this month, with church, daycare and me going back to work, but you've handled them all so well. Sadie always transitioned to new things pretty easily and it looks like you're going to do the same!

What I love about you at 3 months...

This is my last week of maternity leave... where has the last 3 months gone? It feels like just yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. I will miss our days together but know you are going to do great at home with daddy and Sadie and at daycare. Just know that I love you and will miss you everyday.

  • You've learned how to smile and do it all the time, especially when we smile at you
  • When Sadie rubs your head and tries to comfort you - "No cry baby"
  • You have also started cooing and really try and "talk" to us when we talk to you
  • I love sitting you in my lap and holding your hands to hold you steady - you like sitting up.
  • When we swaddle you, you know and put your hands down to your side. When we unswaddle you, your hands shoot up really fast and you stretch. It's so cute.
  • When we lay you down on your activity mat, you like to hit and kick each other, and sometimes you even suck on each others arms and legs.
  • You have been spitting up more and more lately - I do not love this. :)
  • You go to bed anywhere between 8 and 9 usually and sleep around 9-11 hours. You wake up to eat around 5-6 and then go back to sleep for a few more hours.
  • You love baths and lay there so content when we give you one.
  • I think I've mentioned this before, but each of you like different pacis.
  • Sophie tends to wake up once during the night wanting her paci.
  • You go to sleep pretty easily - after your last bottle, we burp, change, swaddle, lay you down and give you your pacis. We usually don't hear another peep from you - amazing just like your big sister.
  • You have gotten into a great eat, play sleep routine. You eat, then play for an hour or so, then nap (usually swaddled with a blanket)
  • Your cycles are about 3 hours, and you eat around 6 times in a 24 hour period, around 4-5 ounces at each feeding
  • You have started holding on to things that we put in your hand, like rattles and the animals on your play mat
  • You like laying on your mat focusing on the animals that hang down.
  • We took our first vacation and you were so good in the car ride down there and back
  • You still sleep right next to each other at night, and sometimes you are face to face - it's the sweetest thing!
  • This is our last week together at home before I go back to work and you start going to daycare - I'm interested to see how this all pans out!
  • I love you girls so much and wait to see how much you grow this next month.


Some differences I've noticed between the two girls:

Sophie

    * Pouty lip
    * Takes paci better
    * Naps better
    * Drools more
    * Chews and sucks on hands more
    * Holding things
    * Narrower face
    * Coos more
    * Long hairs on the top of her head


Sydnie

    * Doesn't like paci as much
    * Harder to get to sleep
    * Rounder face
    * Better skin
    * Likes swing better
    * Dimple
    * Smiles more, almost laughing
    * Squeals

Love, you Mommy