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

5 to 6 Months: A Solid Start on Solids

March 12, 2014 

Dear Babies

You turned six months on a Wednesday, which these days means yoga class. So far we have alternated who gets to go because Mommy is too nervous to take you both. Besides, one of you gets to go to Nana and Grandpa's house where you always have lots of fun. And thank goodness this was the case because Alice was up first and turned into a wailing banshee within the first half hour. Yes, yoga was the worst thing Alice had ever experienced. It was strange to have you inconsolable. Neither of you has ever cried like that and I will admit I was ready to pack it out of there. But eventually you calmed down enough to walk around with the teacher for the rest of the class because you were so mad at Mommy. Well, it made me so nervous to take Evan. But we persevered and Evan, you were so good; played for most of the class and even giggled when we did some baby stretches. The teacher thought you were so adorable! It was totally a 36o degree experience from the first class. Anyway, today was our third class and Alice's turn again. I am proud to say you were amazing! No banshee babies this time; you played, babbled, did some tummy time, had some baby massage. You definitely had more fun than the first time so I feel much braver to continue with the classes. Now you are both little yogis! 

Can't believe it's half a year already! Where have the days gone? I already miss those tiny little babes that stretched from my finger tips to my elbow. But, these days you guys are so much more fun and loving! Every morning I get to wake up to smiling, babbling babies and I don't mind when sometimes it's closer to five than six. It's truly the best way to start off the day. And the cats like the early mornings too because it means sooner breakfast! We still spend most days at home, watching movies (lots of Disney), practicing tummy time or sitting, jumping in the new jumperoo, taking pictures, reading books (you guys love touchy-feely books and to help turn the pages, but I have to remind you that books are not for chewing), visiting with Nana (you guys love Nana and usually can't be bothered to eat or sleep when she comes to visit as you may miss out on the fun), AND eating... Actually we spend A LOT of time eating. 

THE FOOD SITUATION: Besides 50/50 breast and bottle feedings you guys started solids a few weeks ago (Feb 21st at 5 1/2 months) At first it was just for fun, but now you guys can't wait to eat your cereals, yams, or bananacado mush. Alice is more 'hands on' with the feeding process. She wants to control the spoon, or help shove the food in her mouth, or pretend to drink from Mommy's glass, or chew on a carrot stick or green bean. Evan, our little slug, prefers to recline, relax, and let the spoon do the job. A little neater but still just as excited  to eat. You guys usually eat in just diapers and a bid so we don't make a mess of our outfits! So far Evan likes bananas and Alice likes beans the best. We also just recently got high chairs so we could all have dinner together. Alice thinks this is great fun but Evan gets a little tired of all the sitting. 

Our other event this month was our twin group get together. There were 6 moms and that means 12 babies! Gah! It was just a short hour but still fun. Evan got to show off his standing (who needs rolling over) and Alice got to show off her supported sitting. And you guys were definitely the most stylish babies there! We'll meet everyone again in a couple months.

 

ALICE... You have gotten very cavalier with tummy time; it's just another way to hang out and play. Most days you want to practice sitting and you can almost balance on your own. Your favorite sounds have been squealing, sticking your tongue out and spitting, and yelling yaya while you chew on something. We have started calling you Yaya because it really is fun to say! You love to smile and giggle and are quite ticklish, especially from 'raspberries' on your tummy. You like flying games and jumping in the jumperoo and playing with anything your brother is holding. You like going to sleep with your monkey hanging off your crib so you can chew on his feet when you wake up in the middle of the night. There have been a couple times Mommy has had to get up with you and then it takes a whole day of super napping to get you happy again. A good night's rest is best! You also love bath time. I'm pretty sure you just get messy at food time so you can have a bath. You still fit in the sink but once you are good at sitting up we will move to a little tub. You dislike wearing clothes and fuss a bit whenever it's outfit changing time but other than that are a happy baby. And, oh my gosh Alice, do you ever like to chew on things! Your teething rings are a favorite, but you chew Mommy or Daddy when you have the chance (just like a little Zombie - too much Walking Dead). You chew your toes now that you've discovered them and I think you might have chewed a hole in the foot of your sleeper! You chew any toy that comes into your possession. You try to chew your brother's head and you try to get at the phone when we facetime your Auntie Kendra. Even so, still no teeth... though we think they are coming! We also switched to disposable diapers this month mostly for you. The cloth service didn't want us to use diaper rash cream any more and we spent a couple months fighting off your yeast infections and irritated sores. This month your bum has been very happy with a dollop of cream and just regular old diapers. I feel mildly guilty about the non-greenness of this but I want what's best for you guys! 

EVAN... You are still working on a lot of things these days and have retained your Slug status for the most part. Still haven't rolled over though you can sometimes get off your tummy if you really try. Still dislike tummy time even though you do smile for the first two to three minutes. Working on sitting a bit but usually end up reclining. Your conversation skills are really growing and you like to debate topics with the Winkle, or your bottle, or yourself in the mirror. It all sounds very matter of fact! You are really a happy little guy as long as you have slept and been fed. You love to giggle, or squeal in delight, at the silly things Mommy and Daddy do - like pretending to eat your hands, flying through the air and landing akimbo, playing peek a boo with the clean laundry, big smoochy kissing noises, silly or sleepy songs, or just when someone says hi to you. On your dislike list is wet diapers and we are still changing you 7 - 9 times a day. Also, sometimes at bedtime you get a little grouchy and distract Alice from going to sleep. Daddy has been keeping you quiet downstairs while Mommy feeds and puts Alice to bed, then you get your turn. Though, overall you are not too bad to put to sleep and most mornings, even if you get up early, you usually hang out in your crib for another half hour or so, until 6am if Mommy can help it. You have also become a quick pro at eating. The first day we tried solids I wasn't sure if you were ready, you were not half as enthusiastic as Alice. This has proved to be better in the long run. Instead of lunging for your spoon and grabbing at it you let us do the work and within a couple days you really had the hang of it. I think you probably consume double what she does AND you don't need half as many baths, which is good because you are not as keen. Mommy usually sings silly songs so at least you smile a bit during the bathing process. Although a little bit behind with the physical skills I can tell you are very bright and always evaluating things. You examine new objects in a quiet, careful way which is fascinating to watch. When you have nothing to hold you clasp your hands pensively... "What shall we do tonight, Brain?" And you are definitely getting to be a hefty little guy. Can't even plank anymore your body is too long and legs are too heavy! Growing up!

Well, half a year, my dears, has come and gone so fast! I can't wait for the exciting, although troublesome, things to come... Oh yeah, we still have to baby proof the house! Eek! 

Weights: Evan 14.0lbs Alice 13.7lbs

4 to 5 Months: Giggles

February 12, 2014

Dear Alice and Evan

You're five months old today and our activities consisted of loading you up in the car to run errands and buy Crave cupcakes for a friend's Birthday. Someday you will know all the glory that a cupcake can be.

THE FOOD SITUATION: Until then it's still formula and breast milk for you guys. This month it was getting harder to fill you up on one breast each so we are now alternating feedings of breast and formula so you can be more satisfied. This works quite well as long as you guys (Evan this month) are not on some kind of food strike... Maybe due to teething but it's hard to tell. Your growth is slow and steady. Perhaps next month we will start solids but all my research has said that your stomachs aren't ready to digest such things, even though you have tried wee tastes of banana and prune/applesauce. So far you are very messy with such things so I'm not sure your tongues are ready either.

We have tried to get out for walks once a week. Most of the time it happens but its still pretty cold and pushing the stroller through the snow banks has not been easy. It's a good work out for Mommy. I thought you guys might like to look at the world but usually you just fall asleep, despite the crazy jostling. Same with car rides and errands, best to do during nap times because you guys are just gonna sleep anyway.

THE SLEEP SITUATION: Although we still don't have an established nap time you guys sleep so well at night I just give you free reign throughout the day. With bedtime somewhere between 9:30pm and 10pm and mornings around 6am we are getting 8.5 hours each night. For that, and as well as no inconsolable crying, we know we are blessed.

The best thing, by far, this month and overall was been the development of your giggles. Both of you decided, within days of each other after turning 4 months old, that you were now ticklish and enjoying silly noises to the point of laughing. I love making you guys laugh, and so does Daddy. 

 

EVAN, you have ticklish toes (even just when cutting nails) and like it when Mommy pretends to eat you. This usually gets a giggle. You also spend time standing on our laps and dancing, and this makes you laugh too. You still like it when we say "boggity boo" so we have started to call you Mr. Boogie. Another nickname for you is Slug because you still haven't rolled over. Although you can get your hips over you still don't want to lift up your head on your own to get into full on tummy time position. We have to help roll you up, but at least you are more tolerant now. You play a lot of superman with Mommy and rocket ship with Daddy. The Winkle or Crinkly Monkey are your favorite toys, but really you'll chew on anything you get your hands on. Other than your frustrating food strikes (Mommy wants you to eat and grow!) you have been a good boy. You do seem to be getting longer and we upgraded you guys to 6 month clothes which I feel like you will grow into quickly. Just waiting for you to fill out a bit so you're not so lean. We have also dabbled a bit in real clothes, eg. jeans and shirts and overalls, thanks to Nana. I guess one can't wear pjs forever. And you have started to sprout some hair on that bald little head of yours. It's much darker than your birth hair and very soft. My fuzzy, happy little guy! So eager to smile, even when you are a little cranky or sleepy, you can always squeeze one out. It lights up the room every time. Oh yeah, and you officially outgrew your sister! Good job, little guy!
 

ALICE, you are mostly ticklish around your ears and neck and love slobbery kisses there, and your tummy as well. You are a pro at rolling over and get frustrated because you can't go any further now that you've accomplished that. In time, my girl. You are always on the go and get bored easily. You love making noises and every couple of days you find new sounds to experiment with. This month you learned how to blow bubbles, then buzz your lips and spit, and now squealing is your favorite, sometimes rolling your tongue when you do it. It is loud but you have so much fun doing it all we can do is laugh. You have also been a good girl though sometimes you get so bored of the same things all you want is to be carried around and look at things. We started story time and your favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. You love to cuddle with Pink Monkey during naps. You have begun to note your brother more and most of the time decide that he is something to chew on... Often this is his head. So, yes, Mommy has actually said, 'Alice, don't eat your brother.' You are often a little Zombie baby and will try to eat Mommy and Daddy as well... in addition to anything else that you can get your hands on. You too have grown a lot in length and are wearing 6 month clothes as well. Nana bought you some cute overalls dresses and shirts so we've had a couple dress up days for you too. You are long and lean, and getting big girl hair. All your baby fuzz is gone and thicker strands are coming in. Sometimes it looks blonde and sometimes more brunette but we are not sure what you will be at this point. 
 

We love you both so much. Keep smiling!

Weights: Evan 13.1lbs Alice 12.8lbs

3 to 4 Months: The Happiest Holiday Season

January 12, 2014

Dear Little Ones

Yeah! Your first Christmas! Ok, so second Christmas is going to be way more fun because you guys were just too little to enjoy anything and your bedtime conflicted a bit with our previous adult only Christmas routines. There will be some adjusting for 'the fam' but I have to admit that I am excited for the new breath of joy you guys will bring to this wonderful season! I hope you will grow to love the spirit of Christmas and enjoy, and carry on, old and new traditions. We have so much planned for the years ahead. 

We did manage to take some pretty cute Christmas shots and you guys are getting really used to the camera. Nothing depicts the joy of this Christmas better than cute babies wrapped in lights! It really was A Baby Christmas in the house. The tree was packed with so many presents for you guys from all our far away family; lots of first Christmas ornaments, cool hats and clothes, toys you can grow into, and your very special teddy bears, from Nana and Grandpa, of course! Christmas Eve was a late one at Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Dave's and it threw us all off. Despite a later night we were all up bright and early for a fireplace cuddle the next morning. We had a quiet Christmas morning at home and then went to Nana and Grandpa's for the rest of Christmas Day. You guys were very good for this; sleeping, nursing, and just hanging out while the family opened gifts. Doing things with you in the day is much easier than in the evening. We are learning this the hard way by pushing you guys during the witching hour, which is around 7:30. Then we had another late night for Christmas Eve dinner. We tried very hard to play Auntie Lindsay's game but I had to go upstairs and feed you guys and then we had to duck out early again as it was way past bedtime. However, this was not before Mommy found the Christmas pickle (second place). Glad I bought such a big pickle for our own giant tree or you guys would never spot it! Then, Uncle Kevin came to meet you guys between Christmas and New Years! I'm so glad you guys got to meet him so early. It was really great to see him during the holidays, even if it was quick. For New Years we had Jen and Dave over and you guys went to bed at your regular time and slept while we played quiet board games and missed the countdown by accident, oops. Happy 2014! So that was your first Christmas Holidays in a nutshell.

You also had a quick visit with your first baby friend, Astrid. It's the first baby you guys have seen. Evan and Astrid shared a couple smiles and then you guys squirmed around on the play mat and let her play with your jingly octopus. What nice babies to share your toys! 

THE SLEEP SITUATION: So we've found if we don't mess with your schedule you are consistently sleeping 8 hours. This is good. I feel like I can tackle any day as long as I can get 8 hours too. Sometimes I feel like Alice would sleep even longer if little Even didn't get us all up in the morning. You are still the last to bed and first to rise, little guy. A few days before you guys turned 4 months we moved you to separate cribs. Not only were you getting too long to lie in them perpendicularly, but Evan wouldn't sleep unless Alice was sleeping first, and we want you guys to be independent! You guys made that transition without so much as a hiccup. Nights are going very well. The only problem with this long sleeping is that by the time the morning rolls around  Mommy's boobies are super duper full! I have taken to sleeping with a beach towel over them as the breast pads just don't contain the mess and I was tired of changing bed sheets. I've said it once and I'll say it again: Breast feeding is messy!  

At 4 months old we decided to buy you guys a Bumbo. It's a little red rubber chair to help you guys sit up. Mostly this was to help get you guys off the floor and have gravity help with your heads. Alice has been to physio a couple times to make sure she has no neck tightness making her always turn to one direction. We have worked hard to even you out little miss; always wanting to look tot the right. I blame your womb position. Being off the floor should help. Evan has the same problem, just more on the back of his head so we are taking the same measures with him. Being on your backs to sleep is great to reduce SIDS but not so good for perfectly shaped heads. Anyway, you guys seem to enjoy sitting up for short periods, but it's obvious your heads get heavy and you need a break. Someday you won't have to work so hard to hold your heads up! Imagine that! 

 

EVAN... You are ever more a charmer. You have mastered smiling in an 'aw shucks' kind of way that melts our hearts. You still love the letter B and singing... Almost any song works but Morning Train and Cheers are still high on the favorite list, and We Built this City and Teddy Bear Picnic as well. Thanks to your awesome core strength we have mastered the double pick up as Mommy can scoop you with one arm while holding Alice. You still like to look up and stay stiff as a board, and your planking is top notch. The mirror on the play mat finds you often staring intently at yourself while holding your fists out, sometimes a few words are even exchanged. Every now and then your hands catch your eye and you stare at them intently instead. My little boxer, keep your hands up! You have started to make some sounds and have a grumbly way of conversing, which means you usually have to furrow your brow when you do it. Every now and then we get high pitched squeals of delight or attention seeking. Still for the most part you are the strong, silent type. Your favorite toy is the Winkle Grammie sent you for Christmas; it's the best for grabbing and chewing. You also like to chew on your striped monkey when it's sleepy time. And sometimes your hands. If you could fit both fists in your mouth at the same time I'm sure you would.

 

ALICE... You are a little cutie pie and so very curious. We used to think you were the lazy baby but our minds sure have changed about that. You've become a pro at tummy time and can lift your head up quite well. Just before you hit four months you surprised Mommy one day and just rolled over on your own! So so proud! You also are more aware of the other little person in the house and look over at your brother from time to time to check out a sound he is making or something else he is doing. You love babbling with anyone who will listen. The sounds you make are adorable! Your favorite toy is sometimes the Winkle (there's only one) but usually you like your pink striped monkey, it's better for chewing. Sometimes I think maybe you are teething, but most of the time i think you are probably just being a baby. Your hand eye coordination is spot on, mostly because for the last month you've decided to be a thumb sucker! I will admit that it drove me a little bonkers at first because I will give you a nice meal and then you immediately suck your thumb after, making me think you are still hungry... Perhaps you were. You can never really tell how much breast milk you guys are getting. At least formula drinking is quantitative. We will know next time you weigh in how the eating is going. This is the only anxiety I have right now, that somehow you guys just aren't getting enough to eat. Oh that you would talk and tell me! Finnigan has become Alice's fun morning time buddy and he has started to let you pet him. My hope is for him to be a best friend to you guys. I always loved my cats growing up and hope you will too!

 

As the weeks go by you guys are slowly looking less alike, and your individual personalities begin to emerge. Can't wait to see where your curiosity will take you Alice. Or to watch Evan quietly take everything in and work his charms.

 

Weights: Evan 11.0lbs Alice 11.2lbs