Too Fast!

Well hello there! Holy cow the weeks of this summer are sliiiiippppping away from me! I feel like summer got off to kind of a slow start and now we're just two weeks away from my itty bitty tiny (not really anymore) babies turning TWO!

This birthday snuck up on me, BIG TIME! We've had a theme in mind for months, and the pinterest planning is done, but the actual execution-- L.A.T.E! I had been thinking about invitations and knowing it needed to happen soon, but soon kinda passed me by and NOW arrived! We ended up using evite (not my favorite, I REALLY like paper invitations) and they turned out really cute. Since I couldn't find a free invitation that met our theme I ended up choosing one of their premium options and paid the $4 for it. Still incredibly cheap when the alterative  would have  run us several times that price and would have taken a few more days to arrive at our guests doorsteps-- time was running out!

I'm planning to get lots of shots of the details of the party and in a couple of weeks you'll be able to get a glimpse of our little pilots' birthday bash! So far, the door wreath is complete, the  plans for  the shirts  I'm making are underway, the menu is generally planned, now we just need to finish up a bunch of crafty projects and then we'll be on our way. Did I mention their party  is two week from tomorrow? Yeah. I may be dreaming with  that pinterest inspiration board... but, I work well under pressure so we'll see how much I manage to get done!

Aside from birthday party planning I'm registration planning for our local MOP.S group. I'm in charge of registration and let me just tell you-- I have Be You Brave.ly stuff and feathers ALL over the play room. Poor little boys have had their play room commandeered until registration and birthday party crafting is complete! Both events are in the same week, so  hopefully both go off without a hitch!

six months

I just called my RE's office for the first time in a very long time. It was such a weird,  surreal experience. It was like nothing had changed and like everything had changed all at once. 

Instead of sitting on my end of the line proclaiming to the receptionist that YET AGAIN cycle day one had arrived and feeling a twinge of hope alongside the daunting reality that a baby could still be YEARS away, I was sitting in my living room with two babies giggling themselves to sleep a couple of rooms away. I was checking in on the absence of the annual babysitting bill for our embryos. ((Which leads me to a question, do you pay annually for the storing of your embryos? I was under the impression this was completely standard, but was told by someone recently that they do not pay an annual fee for storage.-- we pay about $350 per year, if you were curious. ))

Anyway, it was weird. Though I do desperately want another baby or maybe even two, it was different calling the office. I was mostly checking on the bill, but also looking into some insurance stuff for when we head back  this fall for an  FET consult with hopes of a transfer in early 2015. Somehow it just wasn't as terrifying.  I get that I have two perfect babies at home, perhaps knowing the physicians already makes it easier, or maybe it is just that I have more of an understanding of what to expect. I know the drill. I suspect that come fall/winter I  will find plenty of things to stress about, but until then, I am so grateful for this complete calm about what is  ahead.  

In other news- we're having a garage sale  this weekend. How is it that every single time I forget how much work it  is to have one? I know it will  feel great to get several things out of our house and to gain a little cash for  the things we don't need anymore, but seriously, somebody remind me next year that it is a TON of work to get it all pulled together! Thankfully Hubs is  totally on board for helping so, fingers crossed, it should be an enjoyable weekend of hanging out  outside and getting rid of all the things that take up every bit of our garage!

What else? The boys are HUGE. We sneak in most nights on our way to bed and cover them up and last night we both just couldn't hardly take how big they looked in their cribs. My babies will be TWO in less than two months. -- H is a horrid sleeper and wakes up most nights somewhere between 1 and 3am. He has a horrible time getting  back to sleep and most of the time in the last couple of weeks he has needed to come to bed with us in order to settle back down-- unless I want to rock him for two hours, which for the record, I do not. This is one of those 'twins are way harder' areas. If  it was just H,  I could easily sleep in forever in the morning with him, but his stellar sleeper of a brother tends up  wake up for  the day just about  the time H is finally calming down on the roughest nights. If you are following along that means this mama of VERY busy twin almost two year olds  doesn't get enough sleep. 

Does all of that sleep talk make you wonder WHY in the world I would even consider wanting to get pregnant again? Yeah, me too! But, I have hope that by the time I'm growing another babe both boys will be sleeping much better. Six months. Surely we can do it. Right?

Play Group...

Taking a 19 month old, rather, TWO 19 month olds to a playgroup is an exercise in patience, physical agility/quickness and well, the list goes on.

One morning a couple of weeks ago my MOPs table group got together at the home of one of the mom's for a little playgroup. We do it every month and I've attended a couple and hosted a couple myself. I am ALWAYS on board to host at my own house. I have nothing out I care about anymore, because, lets face it, 19 month olds have zero self control and if I have to hear myself say 'No' more than I already do, I'll surely be sent to the loony bin. I also know there aren't small pieces of things laying around and in general my kiddos (and kids of like age) are safe to roam about and play without me jumping into action like a ninja with every turn.

So, back to this particular playgroup. My used to be 'Tiny' blonde boy was in rare form. Climbing has become a favorite pastime and thankfully at our house we've accommodated this and baby proofed accordingly. We currently have a bistro height kitchen table and have been thinking about getting a more average height one for months now. Note to self: wait longer. A spent the majority of our 1.5 hours of play group scaling the average height chairs and then hoisting himself up onto the kitchen table-- then, dancing a jig. Seriously.  19 months isn't exactly the 'lesson teaching' age, so it was a take him down and climb back up three ring circus. Thankfully the home we were in was one of a woman, who like me, struggled to get pregnant. She has a different out look on children than a lot of parents. She was just SO happy to have us, she genuinely didn't care that he was on her kitchen table. She joyfully took him down over and over while I sat and held someone else's baby. Its so nice to be with other moms who will joyfully give you a break and not totally judge you in the process!

Don't get me wrong, everyone in attendance wasn't exactly amused by the behaviors my children where exhibiting, but that's ok. Some days you just have to sit back and own where you are in motherhood. The good, the hard and the seemingly out of control! I encourage all mamas to find a group to be with regularly. Help where you can, encourage one another and simply enjoy motherhood together. This is one of the most joy filled times in my life, but it is also one of the most exhausting. I am so very thankful that I have a group of other moms to do this stage of life with.

18 Months...

I can't believe the boys are already one and a half! Six months until their second birthday-- I suppose it is time to start planning :)

Eating:
The boys now have three sippy cups of milk per day- probably between 16-20oz of milk per day. In addition to milk, the will eat three decent sized meals and some days they'll also have a couple of snacks. They are still loving carbs and fruits more than anything else, but will generally gobble up yogurt and cheese almost as quickly. They still have some trouble with meat and most of the time will refuse to even take a bite unless its a chicken nugget or a small bite of a hamburger if we are out to eat.

Talking:
The boys are talking more and more, but the majority of it is still babbling. I'm not overly concerned about it because I don't feel like we are at a stage yet where is in inhibiting them at all. They don't seem frustrated by their lack of speech/communication so I'm just going with the flow. I talk to them all day long and know that eventually their language will take off. Until then, H is saying: No, nose, Mama, Dada, pat (paa), Blast-off, oh, yay!, cheese, thank you, hi, hello, uh-oh, choo-choo, shoe, wow and sometimes ball.  A is saying: Mama, Dada, yay!, thank you, blast-off, let's go, uh-oh, yeah, no, choo-choo, wow.

Play:
The boys are starting to play along side each other more and more and it is pretty fun to watch. They aren't really playing together, but they do like to be together while each of them plays. They continue to be pretty easy going about sharing their toys most of the time, but we have crying fits about stolen toys many times per day. Most of the time I just let them work it out and don't step in at all. Other times the toy is returned to the boy who had it first. I figure this is going to be a forever thing, they might as well get used to it now! They still play mostly with toys that can be pushed- while running behind them and with car/trucks/airplanes. Our most recent well loved additions - a shoppingcart, a singing flash light and lots of airplanes!

Sleep:
They sleep really well during the day- we are still on the two nap schedule and I am fearful for the day it will end-- which is going to be very soon. They sleep from 10-12 in the morning and again from 3-5 in the afternoon. Nights are hit or miss, but generally they are in bed between 8 and 9 and wake up anytime between 6-8 in the morning. H has been known to want into our bed around 2am, and for the most part we just bring him in. Its so exhausting to rock him back to sleep only to have him wake back up when we place him in his crib and crying it out in a shared nursery isn't really going to work either!-- I'm trying again on the sleep training of H. Almost two weeks after I started this post I've had enough. This weekend it is happening! A is off to sleep with Daddy and H and I are going to give it a go. Last night he slept all night in his crib with some waking. I slept on the floor to ease the transition. Tonight we'll either do the same, or more of a cry it out scenario. I'm totally flying by the seat of my pants on this one.

We're working on taking away their lollies. We are now down to just in their beds unless we are out and about during what would normally be naptime- then I allow them to have their lollies in their carseats/stroller.... but only if they NEEEEEED them :)

Our 'Tiny' is no longer the smaller of the boys- A weighs in at 26lbs 7oz  and H at 25lbs 3oz . H is still taller than A. By the nurse's measure (of two VERY wiggly boys) H is 2" taller. According to growth charts and questionnaires the boys are growing perfectly and seem to be meeting age appropriate milestones especially for twin boys. 

Mini-van...

So, the time is coming.

Like getting really, really close.

The Sub.aru is going to get traded. My once upon a time "mom car" is already been/being out grown. It will likely be a better fit in a few months when the boys turn around in their car seats, but in reality, the amount of stuff required for traveling with twins + our monster very well loved stroller + monster car seats = a need for a much larger car! I am so excited to be able to get everyone inside the car and then worry about getting everyone strapped in and ready to go. Seriously, I HATE standing in the rain and also as the boys get older it is becoming more possible to get in and out of stores without the stroller, but getting one to stand with me while I strap the other in-- IMPOSSIBLE. Its time. I kind of didn't think I was ready, but the time has come and as we think about adding to our family I know it is one of those things that just cant be avoided.

So, my dear readers, which one do you have? Have you rented one on a vacation that you loved? We aren't planning to buy new- it is just not our style. At this very moment we are almost certain, we'll buy a Honda Odyssey.

A special day...

Two years ago, on the day after Thanksgiving, just before I headed out with my family to do some black Friday shopping, hubs gave me my first stimulation  injection to kick off the cycle in which we made our boys! Though today isn't the same 'date' and isn't exactly two years later.... the day after Thanksgiving will always be the day we started making the babies who made me a mama!

I've always loved this day. Now, I just love it even more!

Crossed Wires...

So, the other night Hubs and I were sitting watching the circus that is our living room in the evenings. As usual, we looked at each other, smiled and both said how much we loved our family and our boys. I saw the twinkle in his eye, and I knew what was coming. 'I wonder what it will be like to add another.' He then proceeded to say- are you still planning to move forward in January.

My eyes widened, and I stopped breathing.

I'm not sure how the wires got crossed, but I assured him we would be moving forward in A January... but not this one! He laughed, reminded me I'm almost 31 (in 7 months!) and agreed that NEXT January really is a better plan in terms of the boys. I'm not going to lie- I'd be game to move forward in a few short weeks- I loved being pregnant and I adore the newborn phase, but I am not ready to have my boys be anywhere but the center of my universe. They need my undivided attention for at least one more year-- they are still babies!

I'm not sure how, after several conversations on the topic we still walked away with differing thoughts on the matter, but I'm glad we could both agree ... 13 months from now we will be hoping and praying a fall baby will be joining our family!

Tricks my kids do... part two

I'll be the first to admit we haven't fully baby proofed our house. We've set up blockades and moved furniture around, but we haven't gotten totally serious about it because 'easy' baby proofing was working-- mostly.

Until today.

I was laying on the couch icing my back -- which is still a little sore from the back issues I experienced a couple of weeks ago. The boys were in and out of the living room, back and forth to the playroom. It got pretty quiet and then came a ridiculous amount of laughter from both boys. I was as quiet as I could be as I inched around the corner into the playroom. One of the blockades we'd used was an ottoman holding up a large pillow covering the bottom of a bookcase where we house some office supplies. A had gotten up on top of the ottoman before to press the printer button over and over and over, but that wasn't what was happening today.

Today BOTH of my children where standing up on a relatively small, slightly angled leather ottoman playing what can only be described at the baby version of king of the hill. I laughed first, just for a second-- then I saved their lives.

Seriously, each day we don't have to make a trip to the ER I count as a win! I'm still very skeptical we'll make it to 2 without stitches or some other dramatic event. Boys will be boys I guess!

Packing up

It is holiday travel season, and traveling with kids is HARD work! While hard, it is totally doable with a little extra preparing. For us, making a list is key, and thinking of each part of our day while we are away is a big deal. I find that if we can keep up with our routine as much as possible it makes our days and more importantly nights, easier. Not to mention the transition back home again. So, here is a bit of our list for our boys at 15m.

• Pack-n-play -- the place we are staying already has one crib for the other boy.
• Lovies and lollies-- don't cross my babies at bedtime.
• A portable highchair-- both homes we will be eating meals in has either one or two high chairs so our portable will supplement.
• TOYS! One home has an insane amount of toys, the other has just a few, so we will take a good sized basket of favorites with us.
• Food. We'll pick this up when we arrive, but it is so important to have things the boys will eat. When you're away from home, so much is already different, food can be one thing that stays consistent.
• Obviously clothing and shoes.
• Medications and a thermometer. Nothing is worse than thinking your kid feels hot when you're out of town and having to run to Walgreens in the middle of the night!
• Any and all of the things that help your kiddo sleep. For us that means music and the firm little pillow H uses at night.

Most importantly take your camera or phone and snap some pictures of family and friends loving on your babies!

Feeding time...

I need more food ideas for the boys- I'm going insane. I know there are tons of things I could be giving them, but I draw a complete blank when I'm at the grocery store and end up buying all the same things. I do not want my kids to end up as those super picky eaters that eat a PBJ or grilled cheese for EVERY SINGLE MEAL!

Here is what they eat now-- please oh please, give me more ideas, or at least say your kid doesn't eat any better!

BREAKFAST:
Pancakes - plain, no butter or syrup-sometimes with fruit mixed in
Waffles- same as above
French toast- again without butter or syrup
Fruit & spinach smoothie
Kashi fruit bar
Any fruit
Sometimes scrambled eggs- H more than A
Toast- dry, sometimes with a little homemade jam

LUNCH:
Grilled cheese sandwich
Flat bread pizza
English muffin pizza
Cubed cheese
Plain flat bread
Fruit
Smoothie
Pouches of puréed veggies
Cheerios

DINNER:
Basically everything on the other two lists, and sometimes a bite or two of whatever we are eating. They've recently decided they don't care too much for noodles, meat in most any form, beans or most veggies in finger food form.

Meal ideas to try? Snack ideas? Come on, help me out, I'm in a serious rut!

Uh-oh!

As I said yesterday, H has learned to say uh-oh. It is generally accompanied with a very dramatic two hands over his mouth and worried eyes. It is hilarious.

• When he wakes up, Uh-oh.
• When he sets his car down gently on the floor, Uh-oh.
• When A does something he isn't supposed to in another room, uh-oh uh-oh uh-oh.
• When he runs out of food on his tray, Uh-oh.

You get the idea. All day long. It is the sweetest thing ever, so I don't mind hearing him say the same thing all day. I love these moments, and I feel insanely blessed to be home with them every single day!

15 months...

I decided to start skipping monthly updates on the boys after their first birthday and will just do a larger update for each of their well visit months in their second year.

We're finally off formula... This week at fifteen months! It took us awhile to make the tradition, but I think we've finally done it. A didn't love the switch and we ended up just going slow for both boys because it was easier to keep track of. The boys now have three sippy cups of milk per day- probably between 16-20oz of milk per day. In addition to milk, the will eat three decent sized meals per day and sometimes a couple of snacks. They love carbs and fruit and seem to be coming around to whole veggies, but mostly still would rather have them in purée or smoothie form. Speaking of smoothies- they are obsessed. It's nice because we can get about a cup of fresh spinach in each one, which is great when they don't love finger food veggies! Meat has been really hard, and they don't care for beans too much either. Most protein is coming from dairy products these days, but hopefully they'll come around soon. Until then, we'll just keep offering it.

The boys have been somewhat slow to talk, but babble ALL.DAY.LONG! H can now say hi, mama, dada, uh-oh, yay and we've heard toddles more than once. For now, A us just saying mama, dada and yay. He generally does things about two weeks after H, so I think his language will perk up soon!

They are both loving playing with anything that has wheels. I think their current favorite us a green toys airplane they got as a birthday gift. It is constantly flying through our house accompanied with sound effects- cutest thing ever!

Sleep is getting better. More nights than not they sleep through- and our bed only has two adults in it-- WIN!! They still like music at bedtime and H now has a firm pillow in his bed because he has insanely small nostrils like his mama and with ANY congestion it is nearly impossible to breathe. He also gets saline spray before bed each night which he hates!

Our next major task is getting rid of the lollies. It's not something we are going to take on until after the holiday/traveling season. But it's coming, and I'm hopeful it will be done, or at least even more limited by 18m. Right now they get them in their beds, in the car seat and stroller.

H has 8-10 teeth. Wondering why I don't know? The kid's mouth is on lock down if he isn't eating- which makes brushing teeth a super fun few minutes. A has 10, and seems like he may be working on another, or maybe a couple of those 10 aren't completely through... The drool. Insane!

Our 'Tiny' is no longer the smaller of the boys- he out weighs his brother now by 10 oz! A weighs in at 24lbs 10oz (51%) and H at 24lbs even (42%). H is still taller than A, by a whole 1 1/4". H measures 32 1/2" (86%) and A was 31 1/4" (54%). Their heads are on the big side, which is just like both of our families- A 49cm (93%) and H 49 1/2 (96%).

A's hair is still super blonde and his eyes are a very sweet blue color. He continues to look more like Hub's family than mine, right down to his little booty. H's hair is a bit more brown, and his eyes are floating over to the grey/green side instead if the blue they used to be. H looks a lot like my family and the trend continues for him right down to his lack of a booty!

I can't think of anything else interesting, so I'll finish off with a temporary picture of the little stinkers....

Things that make me crazy...

• H learned to climb up on the couch. He hasn't fallen off yet, but I'm sure its only a matter of time.
• Fruit flies. Seriously, tell me your secrets because I may go completely insane very, very soon.
• Forgetting about a load of laundry in the washing machine and having to re-wash it.
• When the UPS man rings the doorbell, during naptime.
• Waking up in the middle of a cool dream.
• Letting Hubs drive my car to work but forgetting to ask him to leave the stroller behind.
• Junk mail.
• Stepping on cheerios.
• People who refer to my boys as 'the twins'... I know, I'm weird.
• Realizing after I just got perfectly comfortable in my bed that I forgot to do something.
• Babies with runny noses.
• Making a meal for H & A and both of them refusing to eat it.
• Looking outside the day following an afternoon spent raking leaves.

Life Lessons from Tiny Humans...

There are millions of things to do in a day. Big, small, important, unnecessary. You get the idea.

Life with a baby, let alone twins, is hard work. There are diapers to change, meals to feed, nursing to do, bottles to wash, laundry, food scraps to sweep up, tummy time to supervise, sleepy babies to rock, dishes to do, meals to make... and those, for the most part are just the things on the must do list. Its hard and its rewarding. Its the best job I've ever had, but it is also overwhelming (especially at first) and exhausting.

I'm not saying this to complain. Not even a little.

I'm saying this to explain: there is a lot to do BUT, its ok if you aren't perfect. Because you are perfect in your baby's eyes. You are their everything. And I promise, they will not notice if your sink is full of dishes or your bathroom needs a good scrub down, they likely wont notice if your hair is a wreck or if you didn't brush your teeth this morning.

It wasn't until a few weeks into my new role as a mama of twins that I realized it. I can't do it all. And further more, I don't care. I am much more interested in being with my boys. Watching them learn to climb, discover new things, mimic things I model. Sure, I could get more done on my days at home, but I've resigned myself to the fact that my house just isn't going to be picture perfect anymore (unless we are expecting company), at least not for a few more years.

When I wake up in the night and nearly break my neck on some toy with wheels that was left in the hallway the night before, I thank God. I smile and pretty often my eyes get a little wet as I walk into the nursery to calm an upset baby. Because I have babies. Something I spent a long time wondering if I'd ever say.

Those babies, I love them to pieces. They've taught me what is important. They taught me to hold on to the very few things that are important to me, and let the other stuff slide.

Life, surprising as this may seem, is simpler now. We added two babies to our family and somehow, unexplainably so, I find life so much simpler and certainly sweeter.

Baby Art

I just about let a day slip through the cracks. Good thing I didn't hop into bed the second I put the boys down tonight like I often do, thank goodness for DVR'd episodes of Dexter!

I have a random question, and because I know some of you mamas of littles have a pinterest 'problem' I hope one of you has an answer for me!

We're going to an event this week where each of the boys will get to make a tile with their handprint. The only handprint thing we've done is me tracing the outside of their hands. So, veteran paint hand printers... what is the trick? IS there a trick, or are we destined to have two fist prints this year?!?

Diapers, baby food, toys, OH MY!

Hey guys! Today's post is pretty much my shameless plug for Amazon Mom. Just to get this out of the way from start, if you DO sign up using my link I will get some amazon credits which I will use for the MILLIONS of diapers and wipes we go through around here! BUT you will also win-- For a limited time new Amazon Mom members can save $25 on eligible diapers in addition to 20% off diapers, wipes and other family essentials! So, SIGN UP... and use my link... I dare you!

 

THIS LINK!

 

 

I really, really cannot tell you how many times Amazon Mom has saved my butt when it comes to buying diapers. It is dang near impossible to buy a box of diapers, while pushing a double stroller and buying ANYTHING else. So I order my diapers.. ALWAYS. It is just so much easier, and they come right to my front door just a couple of days later. THE.BEST. 

A day in my life with (almost) 15 month old twins!

6am-7am: The first cry or Dadadadadada is heard and depending on time and how awake I am, I either get the baby (or both) and bring him/them back to our bed for a little snuggling or we head out to the living room to play.

8:30am: Breakfast. Lately my children are VERY picky. It hasn't always been this way, and hopefully it will not always be this way, but for now, they usually have fruit and either toast, a pancake or a waffle.

9:00-10:00am: Diaper changes and lots of playing. We are usually in and out of the playroom a million times, scooting around on push/ride-on toys and generally acting like the circus show we are. On days that it isn't raining this is the time I load up the stroller and go for a 30-45 minute walk.

10:00am: The boys have a sippy cup and milk mixed with a small amount of formula and go to bed for somewhere between 1 and 2 hours.

12:00pm: More playtime and diaper changes.

1:30pm: Lunch. Again, we are picky. Sometimes they like grilled cheese, quesadillas, flat bread, ham and cheese. They always like chunks of fruit or a pouch or pureed fruit or vegetable.

2:00-3:00pm More wild playtime, errands and diaper changes

3:00pm: Another nap- I think I may die when they no longer take two. they again have a sippy cup of milk and sleep for 1-2 hours.

5:00pm: We play, play, play and wait for daddy to get home. Change diapers and have a snack if they seem hungry.

6:00-7:00pm: Dinner. We are trying our best to start eating more as a family, but is dang hard when you run a short order kitchen trying to get your kids to eat SOMETHING. ANYTHING!

7:30-8:30pm: We play, change diapers, give vitamins and reflux meds, clean up snotty noses, drink some milk, change into jammies, sometimes have a bath, and otherwise get ready for bedtime.

8:30pm: The boys hop into their cribs, find their lollies and sleep soundly (hopefully all night!) and mama lets our a huge sigh of relief that we've made it through another wonderful day!

A little of this, and a little of that!

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog. I'm not entirely sure why, but its happening. Its weird though, because although our boys are more mobile now, they are also playing together(ish) more and are seriously cool to go to the playroom for sometimes 30 minutes at a time without needing mama to be right there. It is pretty sweet!

Here is a little update on our life....

• H is walking pretty well, he still drops to his knees if he wants to get somewhere quickly, but right around 13m he really took off.
• A will take a few steps here and there, and can navigate a push toy like a pro, but in general crawling is still his main form of transportation.
• As my babies are exiting the baby stage, I'm starting to think more and more about baby #3. I know, I have twins who are just barely one, but its true. I have an appointment with my OB in a few weeks and while we are not even close to biting the 'IVF' bullet. I do have a few things to pick his brain about. We have new insurance and I'm not certain if we'll have to "try" for a year before using our benefits or not, but if we do have to, that means trying will likely commence very soon since we have an idea of when we'd like to do an FET-- how's that for faith in my reproductive system?
• Hubs started a new job about a month ago and LOVES it. It has been so nice for him to enjoy going to work in the mornings and be a happy daddy when he gets home at night.
• The boys are eating more and more of what we eat and it is so fun! Just last night we let them try stuffing for the first time, and it made me so excited for thanksgiving!
• A is getting some molars... its not my favorite, but I can't complain too much, my kids have been pretty easy teethers!
• We give the boys teething tablets from time to time, and H has taken to doing it himself. He looks so grown up taking his pills before bed.
• About a month ago Hubs and a camp-in with the boys in the living room. They slept inside out huge playpen together- seriously the CUTEST thing ever. They are doing it again tonight. I am so incredibly thankful that my babies have such a fun daddy.
• A & H haven't ever really been on a schedule, but all of a sudden a few weeks ago we just kind of fell into one. I have never pushed one on them- aside from feeding them at pretty set times when they were babies. Now, at 13 months, this is what we are doing:
• Wake up: anytime between 530am and 8am
• Breakfast: between 8 and 830am
• Playtime : from 9ish-10am
• Milk & Nap: The boys are still getting part formula in their sippy cup along with some whole milk. We've had a little trouble getting used to the milk, so for now, this is what we're doing. The boys usually nap from 10am-12pm
• Playtime: from 12-130pm
• Lunch: sometime between 1 and 130pm
• Playtime: 2ish-3
• Milk & Nap: they generally sleep from 3 until 5, sometimes a little less and sometimes a little more!
• Playtime with Daddy: from 5 until dinner sometime around 7.
• Dinner: is usually between 7 and 730 because we've found they sleep best if they go to bed about an hour after dinner.
• Bedtime: between 8 and 830 we start the bedtime routine including diapers, jammies, meds and milk. They generally go down without too much fuss and most nights sleep through the night. Some nights a quick bath or shower is tossed into the bedtime routine, but we are firm believers in not bathing everyday. Our kiddos have pretty sensitive skin and we've found that every night is just way too drying on their soft baby skin! Good ting, because there just aren't enough hours in the evening for that!
• H has taken to pooping before he falls asleep for either one or both of his naps... every single day. Then he cries or stands in his bed and talks loudly until I come change him. Little stinker- literally.
• The boys went to the nursery for the first time a few weeks ago while we were at MOPs. I thought they would cry when I left... not so much. I thought that would make me sad, but instead I was totally proud.
• We had dinner recently with two other couples. One couple has twins and the other has a singleton. It was so weird to watch the kids. It was very interesting to see how both sets of twins just got right to playing and didn't need much interaction with the adults other than to kind of be close enough to check in from time to time. The singleton was more interested in her parents and what they were doing, wanted to stay close and was more determined to do things her way. After the moms got to talking about it was obvious that it was just one of those differences in raising twins- they just don't really get 100% of the attention, the toys or anything for that matter. While that kind seems sad, I think its also kind of a good thing.
• I'm trying to think of things to get out of the house for this fall/winter. We have MOPs once per month and a play group once a month, but I feel like the other two weeks need some kind of outing for the boys. Anyone have any ideas? I've considered the toddler playtime at a bouncy house place in the area, but its for 3 and under and I'm not sure if my boys are ready for that... thoughts? Otherwise I feel like the more 'organized' things people generally take their kids to are a little hard when you have two the same age. Our MOPs group does one outing every month that is for the kiddos, but the first two are outdoors and not really stroller friendly so they are unfortunately a no go for us.
• I'm fully embracing fall. Hubs ordered me pumpkin coffee and apple cider a couple of weeks ago and they are now my favorite afternoon treat. This week kicks off Soup Sundays at our house, and I can't wait to get a big pot on the stove top!
• Tomorrow we're going to the multiples consignment sale. I also look forward to it because there is so much stuff and on the second day most things are half off-- talk about amazing deals!

That's all for now, and really, it is way more than I thought I had in me! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the change of pace fall brings. While I miss the sunny afternoons in the backyard with my babies, I'll trade it in for the drizzle and cloudy skies if it means the holiday season is right around the corner. I can't wait to see the boys experience everything this year!

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.

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!