2 Years: Time Waits for No Mom

2 Years: Chchchchanges 

Turn and face the changes... And boy have we seen you guys grow and change! We celebrated this year with a Dino-tastic party on a beautiful, warm September days. A whole bunch of balloons, dinosaur pictures, vines and palm trees, sand box dino dig, a cool dino oasis cake, and a close fun group of friends and family made it an amazing celebration. You guys were so excited to wake up to the dinosaur house and had a blast at the party. Dinosaurs were definitely all the rage this year with Thomas as a close second. In fact your most favorite outing was seeing the dinosaurs at the zoo and a lot of your first words were dinosaur names like Triceratops and T Rex, and Parasaurolophus... Your favorite! And yes... you guys can both say Parasaurolophus!

Our regular days are filled with walks in all types of weather, trips to the playground for the swings, Gymboree fun, grocery store runs to push the shopping carts (big and small), lots of zoo trips, Heritage Park to ride the carousel and watch the train, and various other outings as you guys love to get out of the house. The best way to avoid a grouchy day is to get everyone out and about. At the end of our long days, that hopefully consisted of a 2-3 hour nap, you guys have a bath, some books, and a couple songs in the dark with blankies and bottles before hitting the hay. You also get to spend three days a week with Nana as Mommy went back to work in October Wednesday-Friday! Lucky kids! 

In October you guys finally got your first pair of runners as your are little running machines. Though a little wobbly you guys are all about 'the go.' You also went to your first Halloween party as little Elmo and Cookie Monsters. Cutest monsters ever! Auntie Lindsay puts on a good party and you guys love chocolate and candy. Maybe trick or treating next year... this year you guys got really sick on Halloween night. In fact we spent months and months being sick! Mommy and Alice even ended up with pnemonia. So sickness pretty much from your birthday up until spring. I hope this means your immune systems are super strong for next cold season. 

November was quiet which is always a nice respite before December. You guys were super into putting up Christmas and playing with the tree and helping get the ornaments out.

And then December came with it's hubbub of Christmas Craziness. It was a really fun Christmas as you guys weren't slugs anymore! We went to all the outings and parties. saw Santa for the first time, and had lots of Christmas photo shoots. It was a fully loaded fun Christmas! We were exhausted!

January came with milder weather and finally a break in sickness so we were able to enjoy the sunny winter days outside a bit more. We took the baby gates down, turned your car seats around, and you guys had your first pizza night and loved it! We also sold a couple baby items on kijiji to buy a table and rocking horse for our basement play room which was ready as February rolled around. Out with the old and in with the new - so many changes for these kids!

In March we did our first day at the zoo with the DINOSAURS! You guys were not totally sure if this was cool with all the large roaring dinos but as the summer progressed it was impossible to get further into the zoo without hitting up the dinosaurs first. It definitely became your favorite outing to do. 

Spring started to arrive in April and we finished off winter with a few more colds. Easter was wonderful and your guys helped with the Easter tree and loved playing with all the colorful eggs that the bunny would later fill. We dyed a few by rolling them in colored shaving cream. Easter morning was a fun hunt to find which eggs had treats in them and what was hidden inside and then finish off with a big family dinner at Nana's. You guys are definitely the life of the party and are very entertaining for everyone. Family get-togethers are just a little more loud with your two around. 

In May we had the exciting opportunity to go see Thomas at Heritage Park. How could we not?! Thomas was there and the big steam engine was so much fun to watch chuff around the track. Though you guys were a little nervous on the train ride it was a really fun day with Mommy and Daddy, Nana and Grandpa. And you guys got to try your first ice cream cone! 
 
Summer came hot in June. It was sooooo hot we had to spend a couple nights all sleeping in the basement. Global warming, it's a blast. We spent many days out in the sprinkler, pool and sandbox, or at the Cranston water park to keep cool. More Zoo days with the dinos and lots of outings into Fish Creek to throw rocks in the river. We spent a 'camping' weekend in Buck Lake with hot dogs and paddle boat rides and fishing. Alice even caught a fish while practicing to cast! You guys went on your first boat ride (and were a little nervous, especially Evan), first Stampede breakfast (without actually eating as the line was too long), and your first umbrellas (for walks in the rain). All in all it was a lovely summer!

Evan. What a guy! You have a big personality and are very social. A little energetic Tigger who really enjoys causing just a little bit of mischief and destruction. You love being involved with other kids, especially if it's chase or playing follow the leader. You are a little clumsy as numerous bruises will tell and it doesn't help that you are fearless when it comes to running and jumping. Things that move without your control definitely make you more nervous, like boats and trains. Language is coming a long though you still like to grunt and point. Colors and dinosaur names are your favorite words and we practice them often on our zoo days. You are always the most adamant about visit the dinosaurs before we see anything else. You also love Wall-E and robots and basically anything that rolls. Such a mechanically minded little guy, you love to figure out how things work. For a quiet time your favorite thing to do it cuddle on the couch and watch a favorite show. You love pizza, muffins, date newtons, and definitely pancakes which are your favorite.

Alice! These days you have a lot to say with a great vocabulary and full complex sentences. Songs, and stories fill your days and you surprise many with your memory. Twinkle twinkle was only the first of your lyrical recall. When you hear something you really like to practice until you get a handle on it. Colors and counting to ten have been mastered also due to your persistence. You also love to dance, skip, and run from the 'ticklebug.' You are the order to Evan's chaos, which is usually the cause of sibling aggravation. Though sometimes you guys manage to play together well, especially if it involves running somewhere. Organizing things and lining them up, making toys go for walks to waterfalls, and bathing dinos are your favorite games. You also are a big help to mom with organizing things, cooking, and even repairing the dishwasher. I love having you help with the baking and cooking. Favorite foods include spaghetti, stickies fruit snacks, and ice cream of course.

Babies... umm I mean Kids.... These are a few of your favorite things! 
Shows: Thomas... Sooooo much Thomas! Dinotrux, WallE, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, and a short, but intense, Frozen phase. "Let it Go" and Olaf!

Books: Hungry Caterpillar, How Do Dinosaurs Series, and Thomas' Crack In the Track and Troublesome Trucks. Most of these books we can recite without even opening them. "And he became... a Beautiful Butterfly!"  

Food: Rotini bolognese baked with cheese, kd and hot dogs, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, summer sausage and babel cheeses. We love packing picnics for all our outings! Though meals are still slow and very much with mom and dad doing the majority of the fork loading. 

Toys: You guys love your expanding dinosaur collection, stuffies, books, and cars! 

So there you have it! Changes from one to the big two years old!! You guys have kept it exciting and unpredictable. It is always an adventure! We love you guys and enjoying seeing the world anew through your eyes. Every day holds such glorious opportunities for new firsts or old favorites and I love sharing those moments with you. 

1 Year: Happy Birthday Little Blueberries!!

12 September 2014

Oh little Blueberries! 

Remember when you were so tiny? Literally the size of blueberries and we thought there was just going to be one?! We are so so happy we were blessed with both of you. Thinking back I can't believe I was ever worried or freaked out about having twins. You guys have been amazing babies and so so good. You've made the twin thing fun and easy (as easy as two good babies can be *wink*). I would never have had it any other way. And now we have made it to a year. My, how much you've grown, changed, learned! What did the month have in store? So much! 

We spent the last week of August out at the Shuswap with Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Dave, Nana and Grandpa. You guys did great with the car trip and the different sleeping arrangements and had lots of fun swimming and hanging out with the family. We took a couple trips on the boat which you guys liked as long as you weren't stuffed into life jackets. Alice spent a lot of time walking around with Uncle Dave  and Auntie Lindsay taught you
guys Uh Oh.  Evan especially loved hanging out on the hearth and everyone enjoyed meals out on the deck and playing in the blow up pool Grandpa brought, full of water or dry, fun both ways!  However, the trip would have been much better had Mommy not gotten some sort of stomach flu right in the middle. Boo! So yeah, the activities were not as adventurous as planned. We did see the Salmon Run though so that was a first for the whole family. Then Nana had to take an ambulance ride at the end of the trip, though she was ok after... So the trip, though fun, was a little stressful for all.  

Back home we were getting ready for your birthday! Rainbow themed with a colorful cake, cupcakes, fruits, sliders, and lots of ribbons and balloons, and a very cool ball pit! We almost cancelled due to a snow storm the weekend before and then a baby cold for you both which let up just in time for your party. You guys loved the balloons and ball pit which we played with for days after! It was a great turn out and you guys were spoiled rotten. What lucky babies! On September 12th we had a smaller mommy and daddy only celebration with banana cake and cream cheese icing... One of your first sweet bites in life. 

The rest of your days were filled with zoo trips, pool time in the backyard, playing on the swings at the playground, crawling up the stairs obsessively, learning how to 'gentley' pet the cats, reading so many books and playing in the book basket. Your favorite books are the van fleet Alphabet and Cats books, Brown Bear, and I Like to Curl Up In a Ball. Favorite songs are Morning Train, Loverly, Hippo in the Bathtub, and the Chum Cheez theme song of course. Around your first birthday you got new big kid convertible car seats and your first pair of hard soled shoes (thanks Nana and Grandpa!) we also revisited some old forgotten staples such as the bumbo, the bouncy chairs, and the newborn car seats. Apparently these items are way more fun if you can crawl in and out on your own. Get your time in now because those are going on kijiji soon. That time is behind us now. Moving forward, looking up! 

THE FOOD SITUATION: Everyday we try to introduce something a little different for you guys to try, but you are babies of habit and like to stick to the familiar. So banana/yogurt goop and yam/apple sauce are our go-tos. Though spaghetti has become a huge, if not hugely messy, favorite. This is good as it's Daddy's favorite anyway. And always yogurt for dessert. Cheese, meet sticks, and cheerios, and snacking on peeled whole plums are also favorites, especially cheese for Alice. You guys are using sippy cups for water a lot, and still sucking back bottles of formula. Evan even learned how to drink while sitting up. 

THE SLEEP SITUATION: Bedtime is working well with baths at 7:30, sleeping by 8:30 at the latest. Still waking up around 6am which may beat Mommy down when she goes back to work. Napping is usually around 9:30 and then again at 2pm if we can make it. Both of you guys can usually fall asleep on your own as long as you have a bottle and your blankies, even little Evan! 

THE HEAD SITUATION: The doc has okay'd to stop the headband in 3 more weeks if we like how it looks. We like how it looks, it has changed a lot and we are so glad you were able to wear it! You were a great sport through it all. So we will wean it off over the next few weeks. 

Alice... Chum Cheez! You are a clever girl! You surprised the nurse at your vaccine appointment by asking for a book over the doll she offered. You love peekaboo with your blankie and are growing quite fond of snuggling with one of the muslin blankets to sleep. You can stack toys, reach the piano, and you love balloons and feather sticks. On August 19 you stood up on your own and on September 3, took your first steps!! Way to go, kid! 

Evan... my Lovey! What a guy! You prefer to knock things down over building them and love things that roll. You love pushing Alice on the little car. All your pants get holes from all the crawling you do because you love to play chase. Other favorites are tickles, your knitted yellow blanket, Soggy Doggy, and hanging off the baby gate. 

10 - 11 Months: East Coast Water Babies

12 August 2014

Dear Babies
 
 On July 10th you guys survived your first airplane ride. Mommy and Daddy survived it too, as well as all the surrounding passengers that you guys charmed into tolerating babies on a plane. Then we were across Canada on the east coast to get to know your Auntie Dena, Uncle Dave, cousins Emily and Alex, Great Aunt Sue and Cousin Andrew, and of course, to visit Grammie!

It was a lovely trip and you guys adapted very well to all the changes and moving around, for we stayed in Dartmouth, then Ingonish, then Porters Lake, all within 10 days. We had lots of firsts! First road trip... 5 hours, two stops, good babies. First visit to the beach... Feet in the sand, got to eat some, toes in the cold ocean, Alice immediately in heaven, Evan took a little longer to be cool with the new gritty sensation. First swim... With Grammie at the lake, warm and not salty, Alice instantly in heaven, Evan even slower to be cool with the full body immersion. First visit with your Auntie, Uncle, and cousins... Emily and Evan are best friends, many happy spins, lots of cool stuffies, taking walks with the family, chilling with your cool oldest cousin Alex. It was a very lovely visit with family, but all too soon we had to come home. And that plane ride needed to end sooner! 5 + hours was too long for antsy babies.

 

Back in Calgary you guys spent the hot summer days having pool parties in the back yard in your new pool (thanks Grandpa!), sleeping in your portable playpens in the cool basement with Mommy and Daddy, and playing down there too for it was 28 degrees in the house! Sooo hot! There was also weekly zoo visits and lunches at the new restaurant there, and bbqing at Uncle Dave and Auntie Lindsay's. You guys also came down with your first true sickness - hand, foot, and mouth disease. Evan had it first, just a couple days after getting home. You were so sad and sleepy, very feverish, we even took a quick visit to the Childrens Hospital to make sure we were doing all we could, but it was just as I suspected that you would just have to ride it out, with tylenol to help your fever. Then two days later Alice was sick as well. Having two babies sick at the same time is the first time Mommy's felt the twin effect become really difficult. I wanted to snuggle and give both of you my undivided attention, but my attention needed to be divided. Anyway, it wasn't until a couple days later when I saw some blisters in Alice's mouth that I clued into what disease you guys had. So there was the 48 hour fever and then blisters on your fingers, toes, lips, and mouth, which took about a week to clear up. But we survived! Won't be the last time you guys are sick, that's for sure! 

 

THE FOOD SITUATION: Oy! So you guys didn't want to eat much on vacation because you were distracted a lot and not used to the set up for eating. Then we had a couple days of being home and eating normally and then the sickness really brought your appetites down as well. I thought for sure you'd have horrible weight gain and I was going to get in trouble at the Drs. But you guys really seemed to gain back your appetites and scarf down the regular stuff the week before the appointment and the weight story wasn't so bad at all. I think I may be over stressing about your weight percentiles and trying to stuff you so full. You are smart, good babies and will eat if you feel like it and are hungry. All Mommy can do is provide you the food. Banana goop or yam goop, mix in some applesauce or vanilla, hide some veggies in it... Yum! Steamed carrots, zucchini, apples, beans, mangos, peaches, plums, meat sticks, cheerios, graham crackers, and cheese... Yum also! We are starting to feed you basically what we are eating so you get some good flavors in there; like quesadillas and spaghetti, lots to try!

THE SLEEP SITUATION: Thank heaven for the portable playpens off kijiji and the wonderful cool basement we have! You guys transitioned down there without thought. Time wise... You continued to get up at 5am in Nova Scotia, and once home it was hard to get you to sleep past 4am! Slowly, so slowly, Mommy is waiting to go see you until later. 5am is becoming a little more common again so we will see if we can shift it some more. Doesn't even matter when you go to bed. Wish that was a factor, then I'd just keep you up late. There is a little less rocking these days. Since there's no chair in the basement Alice falls asleep in her playpen while Mommy gives Evan a quick cuddle lying on the bed as he falls asleep. You guys are good at going to sleep. Naps are the same story and Mommy has set a sleepy time alarm to tell us that 8am and 2:30pm are ideal mutual nap times. It works for all 3 of us.

THE HEAD SITUATION: No issues at all! The headband is going great and other than a sweaty head break it's on 23 hours a day. What a trooper you are being about it. The therapist was very impressed with your first check in. Looks like it's working well. Hoping for a finish date sometime in October. 

Alice... Oh little Alice! Our outgoing Chum Cheez! There's so much to learn and do. You are always looking to the next big thing. Crawling is mastered. Now pulling up on things and walking along them is all the rage. Yanking on Mommy's pants and wanting up ALL the time takes up a large part of your day. Climbing the stairs, actually any stairs, is your next most important activity. Unfortunately, you need close supervision so you don't tumble down them and crack your head open, so we can't do this as much as you would prefer. Otherwise you play well with your brother a lot of the time, really enjoy the swings at the park, any outing to anywhere, and books. Brown Bear Brown Bear is a favorite. Bath times are still awesome and you love lying on your back and kicking the water all over Mom and Dad. Your sound practicing has resulted in your first obvious word... Kitty cat... Or as you say in a whisper usually... Keekah! 

Evan... my Lovey! Our charming little man. You are really motoring around now. You love to play chase and travel through the couch tunnel. You also like to pull up onto things, trying to climb it if you can. You have also discovered stairs, and anything else you can get your knees on to, like the dishwasher. Not sure if all babies climb as obsessively as you guys. You still love to spin your happy spins when your excited and cast spells with your hands if the occasion calls for it. Foamie swords and feather sticks are your favorite toys, but you also like to push rolling things, like the animal train, as you crawl about. You have a lot to say in your matter of fact way and love laughing a lot. The funniest is when Alice is behind the see-through shower curtain... You think this is hilarious. Also, peekaboo, and monster chases means a lot of giggling. Pop up Farm is your favorite book, but you still are a little aggressive with the pages. Mommy had to preform a couple book surgeries thanks to you guys. Highly recommend duct tape and packing tape for all Moms! Saved a few things so far this way. That's Not My Monster and our Baby Peekaboo book are back in circulation thanks to some hefty taping. That's what you get with two Wreck-it-Ralphs in the house.

Next month is the big birthday!! Really? Already? Time seriously flies.

Weights: Evan 19.2lbs Alice 19.4lbs
Teeth Count: Evan 8, Alice 8

9 - 10 Months: On The Move!

July 12, 2014

Dear Alice and Evan

You babies are mobile! After sitting and bouncing and rolling to try to get to where you want you have both figured out the classic crawl. We worked on Alice's one night before bed and bam! You were moving at 9 months and 1 week. It took Evan a little longer to figure it out. We were playing in the kitchen watching Alice bomb around and you just seemed to download the 'how to crawl' program in that second and you too were on the go at 9 months and 4 weeks. Wait to go babies! Mommy spent this month baby proofing things. Finding out what you could reach, moving the fragile stuff, slowly (so slowly) installing cupboard latches, stuffing in plug covers, plastic wrapping the entertainment stand! And of course baby gates so we don't have to block the stairs with the bar stools anymore. Yeap, the whole main floor is a 'yes' zone! Except when Daddy watches you; a few things are not as yes as with Mommy. You guys are loving your new freedom except when a door is closed that you would like to get behind. Well, life is tough little babies, life is tough.

We spent a lot of this month practicing our crawling, of course, but did so much summer fun things as well! We try to do errands here and there to get out and about. The Superstore cart is the best because you can both fit in it, but Alice likes to practice standing in the other carts when there's only one seat. You guys like to stop in at Nana and Grandpa's in between errands to hang out on the back deck and play with Toby and Timka. Nana plays head and shoulders with you and Grandpa is a pro at coaxing out a smile even on grumpy days. You had a wonderful visit with your Auntie Kendra who came and played with you so much through her visit and spent a lovely day at the zoo with the family. Yes, your Auntie is not just a face behind a screen during our Facetime talks. We also played in the backyard lots, enjoying the sun slathered in sunscreen and wearing the dreaded sun hats, walking to the grocery, going to the swings. The weather has been pretty nice, but getting hot. 

THE SLEEP SITUATION: The nursery is roasty toasty but so far you guys have been able to sleep ok. No changes on that front. We have a hiccup of waking up here or there but otherwise you guys are consistent and pretty good sleepers. Evan still likes a cuddle and rock before sleep, with his yellow knit blanket. Alice likes to flip around in her crib, snuggle her muslin blanket, get up and down a couple times, and then I can finally rock you once you are sleepy. No more mobiles though, you guys yanked those down as soon as you could reach them. Mornings are still 5am, but there are worse situations and we get a lot done getting up so early. Mommy almost always goes back to sleep with you guys come 8am, and then again in the afternoon. Love those naps! 

THE FOOD SITUATION: It's been a slow go but you guys have been doing ok. You are still not a fan of purees. Maybe my homemade purees suck? Either way, the adventure is limited on that front. Bananacado is your go to goop these days and we sing Zippadeedooda or Boogityboo ALL the time to get you to eat. We get most of our variety with the finger foods. Still this has been a tedious business. One would think food should be so exciting and fun. Oh well, I will accept that you guys just want to take things slow, more Evan than Alice methinks. 

THE HEAD SITUATION: You got your helmet June 24th. Yeah! You didn't mind even one bit. What a trooper! We eased you into it but not once did you seem to care. Maybe you have a natural affinity for helmets... Hockey or Football in your future? Anyway, we were ready for the therapy to begin and you can only get more handsome. 

You babies have really grown socially this month. Lots of looking at each other, holding hands across the highchairs, yakking back and forth, laughing at each other, taking toys and then being upset, wanting what the other has, especially bottle jealousy. Your favorite time to play is when one of you is in the jumperoo and the other hangs on to the outside. For some reason this is great laughable fun. 

 

Evan... You LOVE stuffies. Biting them, stuffing your face in them, sucking on them, yup you really love them. I don't even think you have a favorite, you love them all! Other favorites are the animal train, your bongos, practicing tai-chi, and spinning in circles (are you mimicking the fan you love to look at?) You love being tickled and laughing so much. You smile all the time at everybody. What a charming baby you have become. You don't even seem to get too cranky most of the time and are happy to play most of the day and just go with the flow. It's the nights when you like to be coddled to sleep and are usually the one waking up in tears because you are hungry or have a full diaper or just decided you need to get up and snuggle or play. I call you my needy nighttime baby. You also figured out clapping and going from lying down to standing, probably so you and your sister can look at each other over the crib railings.
 

Alice... You are my needy daytime girl. You put yourself to sleep like a champ and sleep through the night, but once you are awake you need stimulus and attention. You get cranky on days when we don't get out of the house. Now that you can crawl you are often underfoot helping Mommy with chores and going to the bathroom. You hate whenever I go upstairs without you to change Evan. Favorite days are when we go to the park or Nana comes over to play. You like being independent, like going to bed and eating solids and drinking your bottle while sitting upright. What a clever girl. And you have a wonderful look of pride whenever you figure something new out. New sounds are the best to show off. You love... playing peekaboo with blankets, rattles and shakers, toothbrushes, drinking bottles, making snuffy faces, helping unload the dishwasher (not so helpful actually), and are developing a fondness for books (and not just to eat them). You also discovered how to climb stairs and think this is the funnest thing on the planet, it's hard to hold you back! Your hair is getting long these days and maybe with a little curl? We shall see. 

On July 10th we flew to Nova Scotia! What an adventure! Will have to tell you about that next time. 

Weights: Evan 18.5lbs Alice 18.9lbs
Teeth Count: Evan 8, Alice 4 

8 to 9 Months: The Grass is Greenest in Your Own Backyard

June 12, 2014

Dear Evan and Alice 

Well kidderinis, summer is here! You have experienced the fun new green hairy stuff that we call grass. Alice was at it before we could bat an eye. Feeling it, pulling it up, eating it, kicking it... Yum! Dandelions! Evan, as per usually, needed a slow introductions and then a couple meet and greets before sitting on it was ok. Let's be honest that stuff against your bare legs is weird. Either way you guys love hanging out on the lawn in the back, under our big red umbrella of course to hide from the blazing sun. Yes, you have inherited some fair skin little ones. Sunscreen will be your best friend. Mommy managed to do her potting after you guys went to bed so that was finished quickly and your favorite ones are the little herb garden I potted up for you. Just so you could have some greens to munch on when the urge to eat grass got too strong. You guys really enjoy the chives (don't tell Grandpa).

I have to say you guys have really embraced the outdoors. Besides the backyard we take a weekly trip to the zoo and have lovely company or quiet picnics, just the three of us, in the gardens. You also got to try out the cool swings at the nearby park. You guys immediately loved the swings! Sometimes my cheeks hurt during swing time; we laugh so much. The slide is less appealing... For now. 
What else did we get up to this month? Well you guys went to your first restaurant! An outing at Saskatoon Berry Farms with Nana and Grandpa found us tired of shopping for plants and very hungry. You guys were superstars in the restaurant and all the waitresses loved you guys. You even got to munch on some choice selection of restaurant food. It's pretty fun to be out in public and to give you little nibbles of whatever we are eating.

Also, Mommy found out it takes 3 days to trouble shoot a broken washing machine when babies are your supervisors. June 2nd: the washing machine fiasco. Got REALLY backed up on laundry we even had to have Nana help us out. But, in the end, we fixed it without wasting money on a repair guy and all the inner tubes are super clean now. If you guys ever wonder what washing machine 'poop' looks like, I can remind you. 
Finally, we sold the breast pump, and I feel this chapter is now very closed. Funny enough, it was cheaper to buy a new breast pump, take great care of it, and then sell it later, than having bought a used one to begin with. Thanks kijiji! 

THE SLEEP SITUATION: Well, we are finally back to a consistent schedule. Down at 7:30 and up at 5am. I would still prefer an hour later, but I guess I will take that over multiple wakings. Still not sure what all the fuss was about but it settled down eventually. Alice also joined the sleeping on her tummy club this month. In addition to all this, we have started to take our naps upstairs in the cribs. After failing at this a couple times before I was not very optimistic, but it was a change that was pretty important. When we were napping in the main room it was shutting down the whole house for a couple hours which made Daddy's weekends hard. It only took Evan three days of crappy napping to adjust to the change this time. Alice was into it from the start. So yeah for crib naps. This makes Mommy very happy as now I can either clean the kitchen or actually lie down for a legitimate nap myself. Bye bye bouncy chairs, you served us well. 

THE FOOD SITUATION: This has been the major challenge this month. You guys decided you hate your high chairs, you hate your eating scarves, and Evan is hating all the cool foods we were eating. After days of food strikes we went back to eating gruel, then progressed slowly back into yams. Yogurt was your only non rejected food. Unfortunately, you must still suffer the high chairs and that's not gonna change so you better get used to it. So we figured Evan was just being picky with flavour and Alice just wants to feed herself... We are emerging from the strike wiser and stronger! We have introduced Cheerios and a couple of food sticks such as steamed carrots, broccoli, or pears. And a pork or beef stick here and there for some meaty tastes. Evan loves to gnaw off a chunk and hide it in his cheeks for hours after the meal. What a little chipmunk. At least you guys still seem to think this part of eating is ok, but you don't consume much that way and I am always nervous the doc is gonna give me heck at your next weigh in. So, babies, for the love of god, let's get back to scarfing down the varied purees! Alice is getting sick of yams!

THE HEAD SITUATION: Evan, you went in for your scan on June 10th. It was a non event, you were very good. Helmet arrives in 2 weeks. It's about time. 

So Mommy has set you guys up a fun cupboard in the kitchen with all the cool utensils and bowls that are baby safe. You guys love to sit on the floor and go through all the gadgets while I am cooking or cleaning. Both of you seem to be especially fond of whisks. I don't blame you, they are pretty cool and useful! You guys are now taking toys from each other ALL the time but nobody ever seems upset so at least you guys are tolerant of this for now. you are also feeding off of each others noises a bit, such as 'singing' during mealtimes. 

 

It seems you guys have really grown this month. We have moved you from the basin to the real

bath tub... Finally! You guys love it. All the room to splash and play with the toys, it is still your favorite part of the day. You guys have also grown out of the copious amounts of sleepers we had so to cut down on laundry frequency you guys are now wearing all the cool daytime outfits that we have accumulated. I'm not gonna lie, you guys usually look pretty cute and, for some reason, a lot older when you're not wearing sleepers. You guys both have figured out how to pull yourselves up in the cribs from a sitting position and Alice can even go from lying down to sitting to standing, whoa! So for your 9 month celebration we lowered your crib mattresses so you wouldn't break your necks from flipping out of the cribs. Alice had a close call, so yeah, it was way overdue.  

We spend a lot of time just playing these days, whether on the lawn, in the bedroom, or on the main floor. Alice's favorite play things are: mom's keys and purses, playing under high chairs, whackies for Finn, clapping her hands (a fun new skill), or just clacking things together to make cool sounds, and of course the foam play mat. Evan's favorite play things are: the rumbling tow truck  Finn's tail, whisks, squealing at the cats and kicking, foamy sword fights, and folding laundry. 

Most days it feels like there is so much to fit it that we barely get it done. Luckily, I think we have our priorities down so grocery shopping and cleaning are often pushed to the side. A good life is one that is filled with napping, eating, and playing. I think we've got it good! 

PS Mommy got to see two concerts this month! Backstreet Boys and Lady Gaga! All Thanks to super dad.

Weights: Evan 17.5lbs Alice 18.4lbs
Teeth Count: Evan 6, Alice 2

7 to 8 Months: Busy Babies No Time to Sleep

May 12, 2014

Oh Babies!

These past few weeks have felt very busy! You are growing and learning so much everyday even I have a hard time keeping up. And best of all... Spring is here! Ok, yes it did snow the first week of May but once that heavy layer melted it definitely has felt more spring-ish. Both Mommy and Daddy are really looking forward to spending the summer with you guys.

We kick started it with Easter, as usual. I can't wait for the days when you guys get excited about such holidays. It's going to be awesome! In honor of your first Easter, and much to Daddy's horror, we took a fun bunny photo shoot... Which we had to repeat because Evan did not like being surrounded by all the fun eggs. You guys made the cutest bunnies and by the second photo shoot both of you were having a ball playing with the eggs. Anything new to chew on is a-ok in your books. We spent Easter Sunday here with Uncle Dave and Auntie Lindsay (Nana and Grandpa were in France) and had a small buffalo roast. You guys also made a trip to see Grams and Grandpa up north, your first birthday party (Soleil and Sensa), your first visit with Camila (who you guys kind of freaked out
 because Alice wanted to play with her dress and Evan her hair), and brunch for Nana's birthday at Uncle Dave's (uncle kind of freaks Evan out). Some other fun first... Finally understanding how to play the piano and Alice is a natural. Evan is a percussionist and likes rattles, shakers, and the bongos. Your first WHOLE day with just Daddy as Mommy went to work at the garden show. Graduated to a basin in the big bath tub! The sink was getting small and Alice kept spraying water everywhere. Graduated to the big stroller seats! Good for walks on the ridge and to the zoo. Now sporting new beautiful Nana-made spring sweaters as well! Also you guys are wearing more real clothes, maybe not everyday, but a lot of days now. That one was a big step for mom. AND you survived a measles outbreak and were superstars for the extra vaccine. 

THE FOOD SITUATION: So, Mommy finally decided to stop being anal about recording ALL your activities and we are now app free. It was super helpful in its time, but for everything there is a season. Now is the time to stop being anal! Besides we have finished with the breast feeding (your guys choice and dwindling supply) and solids are much easier to keep track of. We try to get in three meals of solids a day and sporadic bottles. For the most part you guys are ok eaters. Alice is usually pretty eager as long as your patience lasts the whole meal. Evan is not as adventurous with change and usually less enthusiastic, but still has been ok most days. Your favorites right now are yams, pears, and bananas. You guys have also started practicing to chew. After being kind of freaked out by some baby led weaning episodes we have decided that toast is the best practice food and you guys love toast time and can manage it quite well. You just got to eat a little more Evan guy because your sister outweighed you this month. Even so, Your growth percentiles have increased and the Dr was very pleased.

THE SLEEP SITUATION: Oh Evan, my son, you have been a bit of a challenge this month and have made Mommy change up the sleep plan. Yes, you were right that it was about time to make bedtimes earlier but that doesn't mean you have to keep getting up earlier and earlier. Maybe it`s teething, or growth spurts, or wonder weeks, or separation anxiety but you have been sporadically waking up in tears around 3am to 4am. It`s not every night and sometimes it`s for food and sometimes for a snuggle so it`s been a little hard to rectify. After much reading we started to shift to earlier bedtimes from 9:30pm to more like 7:30pm. We got a really great bedtime routine happening of solid dinner, bath time, bottle, snuggle and bed. This worked so well you guys usually went to sleep within the first 20 minutes. However, it didn't change your wake up times any. We tried a night of cry it out... but my resolve was weak and it didn't work very well. My thought now is that it`s just a phase and I am hoping you will eventually grow out of it. Alice hopes so too. She`s a fantastic sleeper and can fall back to sleep pretty easily when you decide everyone should wake up. Providing that you actually go back to sleep yourself. If Mommy can`t get you back to sleep by 4:30 we just get up and start the day. Ah early mornings make for long days. Luckily, I am on maternity leave and have spent many daytime hours napping in the reclining chair while I bounce you into nap time in your favorite bouncy chairs. I am now a pro at sleeping while sitting up.

THE HEAD SITUATION: Oh yeah! And after two months of waiting to see the specialist we finally got in for a head shape appointment. Evan barely qualifies but since it is covered by insurance we will get you a helmet and make you a better rounded kid! Thanks to Alice sleeping on her side, sitting up a lot, and doing tummy time so early she worked out her head issues on her own. You were just a couple months shy little buddy and have only now decided to start sleeping on your stomach. Oh well, we will get measured in another months time and fix things that way instead.

EVAN... Other than the sleep issues and your reluctance to try Mommy`s awesome food experiments you are a wonderful little baby. You are so happy during the day and love to smile and laugh. The conversations you have with your toys are priceless and you have started babbling Ms, Bs, and some Ds. My favorite sound is when you say 'mymum.' It always brings a big smile to my face. You have gotten much better at sitting, and with less bruises too. You are obsessed with rolling over and use this as a way of getting around. Daddy's been calling you Rolly Napoleon these days. You also like to go crazy by trying to jump your jumperoo apart and flipping out in your crib after a diaper change. Sometimes you are a very crazy baby! But you also have your serene mellow side where you like to watch the leaves blowing on the trees, or you fall asleep on our walks, or you lounge like a boss in your highchair. Your favorite games are still peekaboo and being surprised, and also 'drop the baby,' 'tickle tickle tickle,' and flying from floor to ceiling. You are amazing at growing teeth! Your top four incisors pushed there way out this month. It was long and painful compared to the bottom two and you needed a few days of extra cuddles and Tylenol to get through, but they are almost all out now and you have quite the toothy grin. We love doing anything that will cox that smile out of you, my happy little boy.

 ALICE... My clever, silly girl. You love to do things that make us laugh, like making funny faces at dinner and scrunching your nose and snuffing intently. I think you do this more for our amusement than anything else. You are always looking for something new to explore and so eagerly curious. Everything new pretty much goes straight to your mouth without too much thought. You like almost any toy your brother is looking at as well as the foam letters that make up the play mat. Everyday you pull the mat apart and Mommy puts it back together; Wreck It Ralph and Fix It Felix. I think you may be thinking about crawling as you have started to bounce on your bum but sometimes you can just scoot to where you want to go and that's usually satisfying for now. Besides, if you can't reach it you just kick at it. You like stomping your legs on all different types of things to see what new sounds you can make. You still like to talk up a storm, like yelling yaya loudly in the Walmart. Bath times in the basin with your brother is your favorite time of day, where you get to splash at Evan and drink from the squirty boats. Favorite games are 'shakin baby,' daddy kisses, being upside down, playing the piano, and trying to undo your diaper when Mommy`s not looking. Even though there's no sign of upper teeth yet your hair is growing like crazy. It has turned very blonde and is so soft and lovely. Even you appreciate it and like to stroke it when you have a sleepy time bottle. You are so very precious.

I give you guys 2 more months before you are on the move but I know it`s coming and both look forward to and dread the day. More changes ahead my dears. Exciting things always on the horizon.

Weights: Evan 16.3lbs Alice 16.4lbs

6 to 7 Months: Baby Steps to Big Changes

April 12, 2014

Dear Babies

Oh my gosh! You guys have teeth! After so many months of gummy smiles it seems like a very strange concept. Actually, teeth included, this has been a very big month for you guys! All your exciting changes are just in time for spring. Unfortunately, true to Calgary, it does not feel like spring but it will come eventually. Ignore the snow storms in the meaning time... More snowfall today. Everything is brown and mucky without the snow anyway. At least the huge snow banks are gone so we can go for easier walks. We found out that the Sobeys is only 20 minutes away and this makes grocery shopping a little more fun and manageable instead of trying to load you two into the car and then juggle a stroller and a cart.

We also took our first trip to the zoo and that was a super fun outing. We walked around and saw the animals that were out, though I think if anything caught your guys attention it was the fish tank in the gorilla house. Half way through the outing Evan passed out in the stroller and missed saying goodbye to the elephants (as they are moving to a new zoo) and exploring the butterfly house, where Alice enjoyed looking at all the green. This is a new color for you guys as you arrived in fall and have suffered this very snowy winter. I am excited for you to see more green. And now we have an active zoo pass so we can go lots! Best shower present ever!

Ok, let me see if I can cover all the new things you guys did!

 EVAN... On March 17th you surprised everybody by popping out your first two bottom teeth. I honestly did not expect them to come in so suddenly; we couldn't really tell that you were even teething. I was putting you to bed and was shocked when I felt this sharp, hard nub in you mouth. It was very exciting! You have also started to experiment more with sounds and right now you mostly are enjoying spitting/farting noises, much to your Dad's amusement. You often do this as you play in your jumperoo or are on the change table. And perhaps you have finally grown tired of your Slug-O nickname as you started to do more sit ups while you are reclining in your bouncer, you became very proficient at getting off of your tummy, and finally, the day before you turned 7 months old, you figured out how to roll on to your tummy! It was the most exciting thing and I was so so proud of you!! I think you

knew it too and seemed very pleased with yourself. There has also been some assisted sitting and now you can tripod sit quite well as long as you stay focused and don't try to pick any toys up. Mostly you like to play with your crinkle book or a good teething ring, but your favorite thing is a snuggly blanket... Any blanket will do. You love to hug and suck on them, any time really, you even pull up your play mats and quilts. You have even learned how to play peek-a-boo by covering your eyes with a blanket by yourself. You think this is great fun and also enjoy it when we just look away and then back at you with a 'boo.' You are easily startled but really seem to enjoy the surprise. You have decided Mommy's boobs are no longer satisfactory and will only breast feed in the morning and just before bed, and sometimes not even then. You prefer bottles and love eating solids. Banana and yam flavors are your favorites so we hide greens in them. Sneaky Mommy win!
 

 

ALICE... You love to sit up! Rolling over and laying down is so yesterday. I am slowly beginning to be less nervous about you falling over, and two bruises later you seem to have mastered balancing. Even when in your bouncy chair you want to sit, making strapping you in very necessary (one bruise was from tumbling forward in this chair) even though you can still fold yourself over to play with the legs of the chair while tied down. You are super flexible and like folding yourself in half this way to play with your toes. Meal times are even more fun when toes are involved. I mostly still feed you guys in your bouncy chairs because the incline keeps most of the food going in your mouth but we are slowly doing more meals at the table. Dinner time with daddy is pretty fun. We just increase to three meals a day and so far you guys are still pretty eager for the solids. Alice, you will taste anything and everything. I don't think there's a flavor you don't like. You really enjoy handling your own food but since this is counter productive to consuming food we are trying to get you use to letting us handle your spoon. You are so quick and strong at grabbing things and then we have to wrestle the spoon from your hands. It's still a rather messy business, but we are getting better and don't always need a bath after every meal.
That's good because it was a lot of baths! We still get to use the sink but you love to play with the faucet and have even sprayed Mommy a couple times, much to your delight. The big bath is coming your way soon! Now that you have such good balance you are getting better at reaching for the things you want... Which is either what your brother has at the time, or your crinkle book or plastic keys. You love exploring new toys and like to sit in your high chair watching the making of dinner or your baby food while you get to play with fun kitchen things like whisks and measuring spoons. Sometimes you even get to chew on an apple, yam, or broccoli stick. That's the best! Your favorite sounds this month are Ds for dadada (Daddy loves this), humming, and wrinkling your nose while snuffing and pursing your lips to show displeasure. It's really hard to take you seriously when your angry face is so cute! You also are not keen on breastfeeding during the day, but you still occasionally do it. Oh yeah, and on April 4th you got your two bottom teeth! Also, you finally figured out how to consistently get off your tummy. Got to keep up with your brother, right?

THE FOOD SITUATION: Mommy's milk supply is dwindling these days... Use it or lose it I guess. It is bittersweet because I really did enjoying feeding you guys. It was a nice time to sit and relax and it made you guys so happy (most of the time). However, I will not deny that is was stressful when you guys didn't want to feed and I was always worrying about whether you were consuming enough or if I was making enough, and the in between times of engorgement or leaking was a real pain. So for good or bad, all that business is coming to an end.

I'm such a creature of habit and the shift from breastfeeding to solids has really made me see that motherhood is going to stretch my adaptability to change. It seems every month we lose something, like putting away tiny baby sleepers, only to gain the next step, trying all different flavors of food. And although I will miss each month that we leave behind I am so excited for all the things ahead. Soon there will be crawling... Haven't baby proofed yet but at least I installed the cat door!

Weights: Evan 15.3lbs Alice 15.3lbs