12 months... one whole year!

I still can't believe it has been an entire year. Here is the run down of what the boys are up to these days...

• Both boys are clapping-- I cant remember if I said at 11 months that H was clapping, but now we have two little clappers. Whenever they hear clapping they start in. Also, if they hear YAY! they start clapping-- so stinking cute!
• A is walking behind push toys, and while H can also do it, he is much less interested. The kid can crawl so fast he doesn't care about walking!
• New food loves-- grilled cheese, banana or blueberry pancakes, french toast, applesauce, peaches preferably the whole piece of fruit, every once in awhile they will eat a little deli turkey or chunks of chicken.... uh, carb lovers?
• Both are obsessed with the fountain park. We have taken them a few times and each time they are more fearless with the water. Not to mention how stinking cute they are in those little swim suits :)
• We joined MOPs. There hasn't been a meeting yet, but we are members.
• H stands on his own for decent periods of time now and looks pretty proud of himself while he is doing it! A has started the same in the last few days, but for much shorter periods of time.
• Both boys got their first haircut at about 11.5 months- talk about looking waaay more grown up in a matter of minutes!
• H is pretty solidly wearing 12 month clothing with many 9m things mixed in. He still wears some 6m shorts because his waist is pretty tiny. A is wearing things ranging from 6-9m with some 12m jammies mixed in. 
• Both boys are in size 3 diapers and size 4 overnights-- I think both will be able to move up after the box that arrived on our doorstep this morning. --ps, diaper delivery is amazing!
• H LOVES anything with wheels. At home it is cars when we're out it is strollers and anything else with wheels. When he sits in the shopping cart at costco he loves to hang himself out over the side to watch the wheels. 
• A likes toys he can walk behind, a ride around the back yard on a blanket, and anything resembling a blankie- clothes, sheets, he isn't too picky.
• Their favorite song is Wheels on the Bus and a close second is I'll Love You Forever. 
• Both are starting to wave, but it is not even close to mastery yet. 
• They are getting so much better at napping. They'll either play in their cribs talking for a little while, or sometimes just roll right over and go to sleep when I lay them down (still twice per day). I just wish this was the case at night. We're still rocking them to sleep most nights, and H is still waking up at night to be rocked some more most nights. 
• They are eating 3 meals per day along with 3 bottles (sippy cups are still a problem). Until we start milk soon, they are getting somewhere between 18-21oz of formula per day. Some days they have a snack in the afternoon, but not very often because they are pretty big eaters at meal times. 
• The boys received a lot of new toys for their birthday-- and seem to be really enjoying most of them. 
• They both say Mama and Dada, but they are not always directed at us, so I'm not entirely sure it counts.
• At their well baby appointment last week:
• H: Weight 21 lbs 12.8oz (33%) Height 30 3/4" (78%) Head 48cm (89%)
• A: Weight 21 lbs 10.2oz (31%) Height 29 3/4" (48%) Head 47.5cm (80%                     So, in summary, they are a little on the skinny side, H is tall-ish and A is average in height... and their heads are on the large side. In terms of meeting milestones all of the physical milestones are being met, but the boys a little 'behind' in terms of speech. Hubs and I aren't overly concerned and neither was our ped. she finds that twins have a slightly delayed speech pattern and was all for waiting until their 15m or 18m well visit before we worry too much. IF they are still running a little behind we will be referred to an early intervention clinic and be evaluated for speech. They also had their shots, which made them VERY VERY angry this time. This time it was Hep A, MMR, Chickenpox and Pneumococcal.

Since this is already super late, I think I'll stop there. Hopefully I'll have photos from their party uploaded soon so I can share the details!

Enjoying a little birthday cake!
Don't mind the red mark on A's face, we let him try a rib and the rub/sauce irritated his skin a little.

Mother of the year...

Last night we tried crying it out... unintentionally.

Yeah, you caught that right.

Sometime in our bedtime routine the monitor fell into a basket of books and the microphone was covered. I'm fairly sure A slept all night as he normally does. H on the other hand... he never, ever makes it all night. I have to at least get up once to locate his lollie and give it back to him. Most nights there is some rocking, and a lot of nights he just ends up in our bed. So when I woke up this morning I was SO proud of him. Until I heard the boys fussing down the hall and not a peep coming from our monitor. Ugh. I feel horrible that my little guys could have (and likely did) need me in the night and I wasn't there to come check on them. H has been acting super sleepy today which only makes me feel worse!

GUILT!

Maybe all we needed to make our boy sleep was one, unintentional night of crying it out.... I'm not holding my breath, but it would make me feel better!

365 Days...

That is how long I've been a Mama to babies on the outside of my body. Surely I was their Mama from the moment they were created, but one year is how long I've been snuggling, feeding, diapering, kissing, and taking care of every need of our boys. I can't believe an entire year has passed already. I remember that day- what seems like every single moment, right down to the words that were said and the looks that were exchanged between my husband and I in the hours leading up to our debut as parents. I remember shaking in the OR and my OB calmly reassuring me that not only would everything be fine, but that my babies would know my love for them from the moment they took their first breath on the outside of my body. I can recall how everything looked around me as I laid eyes on each of my boys for the first time. So many sweet memories from that day. I will cherish that day for as long as I live, the day every ounce of hurt, pain, longing and frustration became really and truly worth it.. the day I became a mom.

This year looks a bit different than last year. I will still be waking up early, though with any luck it wont be AS early. Instead of driving to the hospital with great anticipation, instead we'll walk down our hallway, and watch with great anticipation as they discover their birthday gifts from us and navigate a hallway of streamers and balloons. And instead of not eating breakfast, I'll join my sweet little pancake lovers for some blueberry treats. This afternoon we'll hit up the fountain park and watch them explore a place they love and maybe they'll get a little taste of ice cream when we're done playing. Tonight we'll tuck our sweet little boys into their cribs with their pacifiers and the burp clothes they treat like blankies, and instead of being slightly terrified like we were on that first night in the hospital, we'll give each other the same look we give each other every night.... the one that says 'how could we love them any more?' 'We've finally got this figured out' and 'thanks for making me a mom/dad' all in one simple little glance.

It has easily been the hardest, most fulfilling BEST year of my entire life. I wouldn't change one moment of it- I can't wait to see what their second year has in store for us!

Any Ideas?

1. Sippy cups.... the boys are not good at them. I give them a sippy cup with water each day (ok, most days) in addition to their three bottles and three meals- usually they end up being banged on the tray and everyone ends up a little more wet than I'd planned. It isn't for lack of trying though- I think we have six different types of cups. If you have a favorite let me know!

2. Nighttime waking.... I am willing to admit we've done VERY little in terms of sleep training. We've broken a lot of 'rules' and I'm not really sorry about any of it. I've loved having my babies in bed with me from time to time, but we are reaching a point where H is finding his way into our bed early every morning. I'd like to fix this, but the boys do share a room, so letting him fuss/cry it out isn't really an option. When he gets picked up and brought to our room he is usually either asleep before he gets to our room, or shortly after he gets into our bed. Occasionally we do rock him in his room and put him back down once he falls asleep, but to be honest, we are too tired for that most of the time! Last night I tried not bringing him to our bed... I got up to rock him every two hours and he required a bottle to go to sleep the final time.

3. Diapers... my boys have always been more on the side of constipated than the other direction. In the recent weeks we've had some issues in that department that we haven't been used to. I can count on both hands how many times we've had to change an outfit because of poop in the last year between TWO babies... I'd say half of those have been in the last month. I don't think it has anything to do with the diapers we are using- it has to do with the poo... which I have to assume is due to the food. I fed the boys the BRAT diet for a few days and it seemed to get a little better, but then I introduced oatmeal again and this morning A wished me a happy anniversary with a full diaper and poo up his back-- gross! Could it just be a yucky stomach that needs to heal, or are our oatmeal days numbered?

4. Birthdays.... its almost the boys' first birthday and I have no idea what to get them. We just spent $800 on car seats and a new stroller, so maybe that is gift enough! What did you do for a first birthday gift, or did you skip it because they have no idea and your family spoiled your kiddo rotten anyway?!?!

5. Pacifiers... We had every intention (a year ago, and maybe even 6 months ago) to take away the lollies when the boys turned one. I'm just not sure they are ready... and I'm even more sure I am not ready! But, our doctor has told us time and time again that it is in the end easier for them the younger they are-- less attached and all that jazz. Ideas? Bottles will be happening shortly too (after we master the sippy) so if you have tips on that one I'll gladly take those too!