10 Months!

Ethan
I still need to weigh him, we don't have a doctor's appointment again until February.

Ethan is now standing up completely unsupported by anything but his own leg muscles.  He likes to stand up and reach everything he can from nightstands, counters (the low ones) and chairs.  He also loves to pull down this mesh gate we have and look over it.  One thing he doesn't like is when we try to stand him up and let go or walk with him.  His legs turn to jello and he pulls up his knees.  He loves to stand on his own but not when we help him.

He is still my cuddly little guy but only likes to really cuddle when he is sad or tired.  Most of the time when I pick him up and pull him in he puts his head on my shoulder for a minute or two and it just melts my heart.

Ethan has also taken a huge liking in tilting his head back and forth.  He looks at Brian and I, then tilts to one side and then waits for us to do the same, then he does the opposite side.  He also has this super cheesy smile that he does to be funny.  He throws his head back, squints his eyes and grins with all his teeth, it's hilarious and adorable!  I catch him doing it in the mirror facing  his car seat.

He loves to bounce.  Most every morning when I go get the babies from their cribs he is standing there jumping up and down.  He is so happy!

This month sleeping has been a lot better, he finally stopped waking every two hours but for whatever reason wakes up around 11-12 crying, I have to go in and soothe him until he falls asleep.  No teeth have broken through this month so I think he is having night terrors which in my opinion are much worse.  I would rather have to give him Tylenol or baby orajel, I can't do anything for night terrors.

My favorite new development of Ethans this month his understanding of peek a boo.  He will take his blanket and pull it over his face and wait for me to say, "Where's Ethan???" and then he will drop the blanket and I shout, "There he is!"  He loves it and so do I.

We took family photos the last week in November and Ethan was beaming in all the photos, which is odd because usually he just has a blank mouth open stare and Ellie who is usually all smiles only smiled for a few and the rest she sobbed.  So weird!

Ethan is still in size 3 diapers and wears size 12-18 months, he is the cutest chunk ever!


Ellie
I still need to weigh her, we don't  have a doctors appointment again until February.

Ellie is crawling and pulling herself up everywhere. We hold her hands sometimes to walk with her and that little girl takes off, she is so quick!  I keep telling people, she won't walk she'll run!  She likes to stand (not without using something to help her up), make sad faces and chirps so we will pick her up.  She has the most adorable pouting face that makes us crack up.  She is learning how to manipulate us into picking her up or playing with her.  She still hates being left alone or set down.  Sometimes when she is pouting she will fake cry and then open her eyes slightly to make sure we are watching and then start fake crying again.

Ellie is just a little happy girl.  She loves to be held, by pretty much anyone but Santa.  We have tried 3 different times to get her to smile on Santa's lap but she refuses and breaks out in screams and sobs.

My little girl is starting to take a stand against headbands of any kind.  Every time I put one on her she pulls it off immediately, I have to distract her right away for her to leave it for any period of time but she is not a fan. She doesn't mind hair clips but they bug me because her hair is so fine that they just slip out.

She has developed a princess wave where she sticks out her right hand and rocks it side to side.  She doesn't do it all the time on queue but does do it, especially if I am holding her walking through Disneyland.

 Ellie loves pillows. One night we pulled some pillows off the couch and put them on the floor with us, she went right over to them and laid her head down.  Now every time she sees a pillow she puts her head down on it and we all say, "AWE."  She loves it, and so do we.

Ellie is still in size 3 diapers and 9-12 month clothes.  I love that she is so petite!

Both babies understand the word clap and hungry.  Most times when you said clap they will drop everything they are doing and break out into a round of applause.  It sometimes even works when they are crying. If you ask them if they are hungry, and it's time for them to eat, they start chirping and crying for food. Too funny.

They are great eaters and will eat any thing you give them, except for the freeze dried yogurt drops, Ethan loves them and Ellie HATES them.  They LOVE pork, I made a pot roast the other day and I couldn't feed them fast enough.  I have been trying to feed them whatever we eat for dinner, except for the super allergenic stuff they can't have until they are at least one like peanuts, chocolate, strawberries, honey etc.

When the babies do play they usually stick together and play with the same toys.  I love watching them play together but most of the time they steal each others toys.  Ellie gets so sad when Ethan takes from her because he is so much stronger resulting in her having to find a new toy.

I am still nursing both babies.  It is a lot of work with both of them getting so big but I know it won't be for much longer so I am trying to enjoy it as long as possible.  I have already felt my appetite lessen which scares me.  I really enjoy the time I get with them when I nurse, I never dreamed I would be able to nurse this long, when the babies were first born I remembered thinking, I don't know how people do it! I think I will aim for 3 months, then 3 months came and I pushed it to 6 months, then 9 months and now (hopefully) 12.

Brian installed some gates in our house to keep the babies in one place and they are not happy about it.  They crawl over to our mesh one (it is retractable because a suspension one wouldn't fit and I didn't want one permanently up) and pull on the top to try and see over.

Both babies will go to practically anyone, they are very even tempered and just happy babies.  I love to watch them learn and grow each day. I feel so blessed to be their mom and can't imagine my life without them.

I am so excited for their first Christmas!!!

9 Months!

The stats are in!

Ethan
22 lbs 13 oz (90%) 30 1/2 inches (98+%)

Ethan is getting faster and faster!  He crawls all over the place and pulls  himself up everywhere.  Our poor dog Baxter has been the target of Ethan's new found speed.  Baxter leaves his bone in random places and Ethan always seems to find it, pick it up and wave it in his face.  One of my favorite things is when he crawls over to where I am and stands up to get closer to me, even if it means just looking.  I can't resist his toothy grin!  I also love that he doesn't smile for just anyone.

This has been a hard sleeping month for our poor little man.  He seems to wake up ever two hours and won't settle without nursing.  It has been a rough month for me as I, like all moms, am useless without rest.  I think he has nightmares and is starting to teeth again.

He has a total of 6 teeth, four on top and two on bottom.  Our pediatrician said that she was surprised to see so many teeth in such a young baby. (Yay?) I love his smile, with all those teeth he sure looks more like a toddler than a baby under 1 year old.

Ethan also loves to scream, it's a happy scream but a scream none the less.  He will scream every where we go and unless you can see his smiling overjoyed face you'd think he was throwing a tantrum. Luckily he doesn't do it for long periods of time or all day, it's usually just a few minutes.

He is in size 3 diapers and 12 month clothes and I swear he is bigger than most 1 year olds we meet.

Ellie
19 lbs 5 oz (50%) 29 inches (80%)

Ellie can finally sit up on her own and is now mobile!!!  She crawls all over the place chasing her brother, mommy and daddy! She is not so comfortable with pulling herself up but she does stand if you pull her up.  I can't believe I have two mobile babies!!! In some ways it's easier because they follow each other everywhere but in some ways it's harder because they seem to love taking each others toys, pacifiers and sippy cups.

Ellie is learning to nod her head and clap, she claps all the time and randomly nods her head.  It's too funny, we will ask her questions and she just starts nodding her head.  We have no idea where she learned it but it's adorable and we are constantly making her do it.

This last month on a recent trip to Disneyland we went on the Mark Twain Riverboat and got to ride on the top with the captain.  When up there you get to steer the boat, blow the horn, sign a guest book and get a certificate.  Daddy was holding Ellie and right when we got to the top of the boat he noticed that her diaper exploded and covered his shirt!  The boat had just begun to leave and we had nothing with us as our stroller and bag were parked by the entrance so we were on our own until we returned at the end of the loop around the harbor.  I didn't realize I had to pack extra clothes for Brian! Luckily he had a sweatshirt to throw on and I had extra clothes for Ellie.  I had a good laugh.  :o)




Both babies LOVE looking at themselves in the mirror or on daddy's camera.  They get the biggest smiles and sometimes the loudest giggles when they can see themselves.  I love watching them play with their reflections.

They also love to dance, whenever they hear music they stand up, holding on to something of course, and bounce up and down, it's hilarious!

This past month we got Disneyland passes and are loving how much Ethan and Ellie are enjoying our outings.  We made the mistake of taking them on Pinocchio, WAY too dark for babies.  Ellie spent the whole time clutching onto Brian and I spent the whole time covering Ethan's ears, the music is so loud!  It's amazing how different everything is when you are there with your babies.  I never realized how dark and LOUD the rides are.  Since getting our passes we have been there at least twice a week every week since October.  Surprisingly there is a lot you can do with 9 month old babies.  We have gone on lots of rides: Pinocchio(scary), Peter Pan (scary), Dumbo (great), Carousel (Ethan LOVED, Ellie scared), It's a Small World (great), Pirates of the Caribbean (great, they weren't even phased by the drops), Haunted Mansion (great), Jungle Cruise (indifferent), Buzz Lightyear (Brian's favorite), Mark Twain Riverboat (great), Little Mermaid (LOVE), Ferris Wheel (LOVED), Monsters (LOUD, scary), Heimlich's Chew Chew Train (great), Flik's Flyers (not a fan, they couldn't see out), King Tritons Carousel (Ethan loves, Ellie scared) and that's not even all they can go on!  They have also met many characters: Tiana, Snow White, Jasmine, Belle, Merida, Mickey, Santa Claus, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and counting.  They are at such a fun age and seem to be enjoying Disneyland as much as we do.  Ellie even waved at all the characters in the Toy Story Parade in California Adventure!

8 Months

 Ethan
Approximately 21.5 lbs. (He dropped 1/2 a pound in the last week)

Ethan is completely mobile!!!  He crawls everywhere and I find it to be both fun and stressful!  Suddenly I am so aware of all the little things he can bump his head on or get hurt with.  He loves crawling around and exploring this whole big world.

Not only is he crawling but he is also pulling himself up and taking steps!!!  It's insane how quickly these little loves learn new things!  Needless to say we lowered the crib AGAIN.  It is so fun when he crawls over to me and pulls himself on my lap.  I love that he can chose where he wants to go and can entertain himself, especially if he chooses me.  We are anxious to see if he is like his mommy and learns to walk around 8 months.

This month he is obsessed with his bouncer.  I can put him in it and he will happily bounce for close to an hour.  When he isn't in it, he is crawling over to it and standing up to play with the toys on it.

The week before he was 8 months he cut 4 teeth on the top!  It was a rough two weeks with him being unusually fussy and sleep deprived but the teeth finally came in and he is doing so much better.  He has the cutest little gap between his two front teeth and I adore it.

Ethan is my little vacuum cleaner, he will eat everything I put in his face.  He loves everything, he gets wiggly and fussy if I take too long to give him another bite.  It's pretty funny.

He is in size 3 diapers and size 12-18 month clothes (he can still fit in 9-12 month clothes but I don't have any of those so he gets the bigger size :o))


Ellie
Approximately 17 lbs. (She gained 1 pound in the last week)

Ellie has decided that she doesn't like being left alone or set down to play.  I can sometimes sneak away if she is occupied with a toy but the second she sees me in another room or walk by her she gets super fussy and cries and cries until I pick her up or bring her into the room where I am.  It's so cute but also so hard because I can't get anything done.

She still doesn't know how to sit up on her own yet but will stay sitting up if we sit her up. Thankfully she can get to her belly from that position so we don't have to sit and support her or make sure she doesn't hurt herself.  She is scooting around backwards and loves to roll around and take toys from  her brother.

Ellie is a picky little eater, she HATES fruit.  Every time I introduce her to a new one she makes the funniest faces and locks her mouth shut.  She loves sweet potatoes, peas, carrots and any other veggie I throw her way so I can't be too disappointed.

Ellie is no longer toothless!  She has one bottom tooth that, lucky for mom, came the same time as her brothers 4!  Thankfully no other teeth have surfaced or seem to be in the works and that is just fine with me.

One other thing that Ellie has started doing is smiling when she sees herself.  She LOVES her reflection or looking at herself in photos.  The other day I was sitting with her on my lap and kept noticing her looking somewhere and smiling, I followed her eyes and saw her looking at herself!  She is too funny!  If I move her away from the mirror she always finds a way to get back in front of it.  Another time she was sitting on my bed while I was blow drying my hair and I heard her giggle, she was giggling at herself, silly girl!  Whenever we bring out a camera either on our phone or an actual digital camera she puts on this big goofy grin and smiles big.  Love her!!!

Ellie is in size 2 diapers and 6-9 month clothes, she still fits some of her 3-6 month clothes.  Love my little girl!


This month they have graduated from their baby tub to the big bathtub.  They are SO cute splashing and playing together during bath time.  It has become much more enjoyable for me to get them clean and ready for the day now that they are able to be in the tub at the same time.  

The babies have entered the Stranger Danger phase.  They recognize faces and voices as well as know if a face isn't familiar.  It makes it a little harder to have other people hold them but that only really happens if they are already fussy to begin with.

They are interacting with each other more and more each day.  It is so fun to watch and I can't wait to see what they do next!

Mossy Initial DIMS (Did it Myself)

To say that I love Pinterest would be a MAJOR understatement.  I am constantly pinning and trying different crafts and recipes, I even created a board dedicated to recipes that I have actually tried which you can see  here.    I try at least 3 recipes a week...sometimes more, sometimes less.

This is a craft I pinned months ago and finally got around to doing.  It was super easy, super inexpensive and super quick.  You can find the original post and tutorial here, by Felt So Cute.  

She uses a Styrofoam letter whereas I used a wood one I found at Joann's already cut for $2 and I painted mine black because I didn't have any green paint.  

Here is how it turned out.... I LOVE it.  (Yeah, Blogger still won't let me make the pictures right side up...)

 

Ethan does the poopy dance

Just a glimpse into my afternoon... at least he is blissfully unaware or affected. And if you can't tell, his diaper exploded down his legs and all over my new rug. :)

7 Months

Ethan
Approximately 17lbs  We don't have stats this month because we don't go to the doctor until 9 months

Ethan is just the most lovable, cuddle-able, squeezable, kissable baby boy.  I could literally curl up with him all day.  He is mastering getting around, sitting up and growing teeth!

This month he decided that he didn't want to just roll over so he taught himself to sit up.  It was so exciting!  The worst part is that neither Brian nor I saw him do it... we only noticed him sitting up in the pack and play after I laid him down for a few minutes to make dinner.  Brian came in and said, "Well, I guess he knows how to sit up now."  I was in shock!  The weirdest thing for me was going to his crib to soothe him at night and finding him sitting up.  Needless to say we lowered the crib.

He isn't fully crawling but is SO close.  He takes small scoots but knows how to get to where he wants.  In our living room he LOVES Baxter's dog bed.  No matter where you put him down in the room he finds his way over to it.

He is very easily entertained and loves to play with his toys.  He chews on his new sippy cup rather than drinking from it.  He loves Ellie, he will sit and stare at her or grab her feet and put them in his mouth.  He also likes to grab her face which she isn't a fan of.

On August 26th he got his FIRST TOOTH!!!!  The day before he spent the whole day chomping on Aunt Lisa's finger and now has something to show for it.  I almost cried!!! My baby is growing up!!  Then, if that wasn't enough, not even three days later he cut his SECOND TOOTH!  Insane!!

Ellie
Approximately 13lbs Again, no stats this month

Ellie is the happiest, giggliest, wiggliest little lady.  She is SO ticklish and Brian and I LOVE to tickle her and make her laugh all the time!  She is mastering rolling over, sitting without falling over, stealing whatever her brother has, playing by herself and talking as much as possible.

This month Ellie has been learning to play by herself and with Ethan.  She is quite the little thief, one thing you have to understand about Ellie is she doesn't use a pacifier, she prefers to suck on her thumb and occasionally will chew on a pacifier if she is in the mood, BUT if Ethan has his pacifier she goes after it.  She LOVES taking it out of his mouth and putting it in hers.  It's hilarious!  Ethan is so laid back that he doesn't really seem to mind it or if he does he sure doesn't show it.  She also goes after any and all toys he is playing with.  I give her her own toy and then give Ethan his own and she always wants what he has.

She likes to sit up and see what is going on around her, her favorite thing to stare at is our dog, Baxter.  She loves him.  Every time he is around she reaches for him and giggles.  He likes to lick feet and the babies feet are no exception.  I have been trying to teach her to be gentle because she grabs his fur and ears and even snout.  He is so good with her and just loves that he is getting attention.

She loves to sing in the car or when she is tired.  She doesn't love to be put down, especially if I am in the room and will flail her arms or do the saddest chirps and cries to get picked up.  She doesn't like to share and when she is uncomfortable she will make it known.




This month brought on lots of changes.  First, we started them on solid foods.  I am determined to make their baby food and it is so much easier than I ever thought possible.  I made rice cereal and they absolutely hated it, then I made peas (They both hated them at first, Ethan liked them the second time and Ellie finally liked them the third time), zucchini (they actually both liked it), sweet potatoes (they LOVE) broccoli (not big fans but will eat it) and peaches (surprisingly Ellie's least favorite, she hates them).  Our pediatrician told me the only thing I should buy rather than make is carrots so I bought those and they went over okay but not great.  I have really enjoyed making their food.  It's super easy and freezes really well.

The second BIG change was splitting the babies up and giving them each their own crib.  I think this was hardest on me.  I had been fighting it since before they were born.  I wanted them to be in the same crib because I read so many good things on co-bedding twins.  Brian was complete opposite, he wanted separate cribs from the beginning but being the good man that he is he didn't fight me on it, only putting up the argument that we should get a second crib, just in case, and keep it in the garage.  The day came that Ethan headbutted Ellie and then got his own leg stuck through the railings on the crib and that was it, Brian built the second crib and had it in their room the same day.  The first couple nights were rough, a few times I had to put them in the same crib for them to sleep but they soon got used to being on their own and now sleep just fine.

I am loving being a mom, one of my favorite parts of the day is hearing both babies happily "talking" when they wake up from their naps.  Ellie loves to squeal and see how high she can make her voice and Ethan just sits up and plays with his toys grunting and jibber jabbering.

They both are saying Dadadadada and Brian is just LOVING it.  It's funny because when they are sad and crying they say Maaamaaa which I love so we are both happy campers.

They are super easy babies and will go to anyone.  They rarely cry and love to play.  I can tell they are starting to get a little clinging but I read that is a good thing.  I think this next month they will start to develop that stranger danger instinct so if they seem reserved that's probably why.

(We did their monthly photo at the end of the day and Ethan was a little restless and Ellie a little tired)

6 Months!

Ethan
19lbs. 13oz. (80%), 28 1/2 in. (98%), HC 45 (93%)

My big cuddle bug!  He is so squishy soft that I can't help but squeeze and kiss him every time I pick him up!
He is wearing size 2 diapers and size 6-9 month clothes
He has no teeth but loves chomping on teething toys and drooling on his fingers

He is rolling and planking!
SO close to sitting up by himself
He can sit up and hold his own weight if we sit him up
He is VERY interested in food, he watches me eat all the time
He smiles all day to mama but still has a blank stare with all most anyone else
He scoots backwards
He almost always wakes up happy
He almost always falls asleep in his CARS float boat in the pool
He is immediately soothed with his pacifier
He talks more to himself than anyone else

Ellie
16lbs. 7oz. (30%), 27 1/2 in. (85%), HC 44 (75%)

Our little Peanut Girl is more smiley and giggly than ever!  She is so alert and social!

She is wearing size 2 diapers and size 6 month clothes
She still has no teeth but is always chomping on things and happily drooling

She finally rolled over!
She still doesn't like her belly
She sleeps on her side
She sucks her thumb and grabs the closest fabric in the same hand when she is tired
She sleeps on her side
She loves to suck other peoples thumbs
She loves to sing, sometimes she sings herself to sleep
She smiles at EVERY ONE!
She is SO ticklish!  Her little ribs and thighs and neck are all little sweet spots of joy!
She does NOT like being put down
She LOVES to hear how loud and high she can scream
She recognizes the song Popcorn Popping

Ethan and Ellie are starting to notice each other more and more.  They like to grab each others faces and hands and put them in their mouths.

We took them to Lake Mission Viejo for the 4th of July fireworks and were interested to see how they would do with the loud sounds, they were mesmerized!  We spent the night celebrating with Kevin and Sarah Helfrich at Kevin's grandma's house on the lake. It was a lot of fun and the babies got a lot of attention!

We also took them to the OC Fair on July 25th.  They were great!  I think it was major sensory overload because when we got home they were zonked out.

They are still sleeping pretty good.  I put them down at 8, they wake up between 4 and 6 and then sleep until 8, up for an hour then back down for 1-2 hour nap then up for 2 hours then back down for 1-2 hours then up :o)

Being a mom of twins is a LOT of work.  It takes so much just getting out the door and running simple errands.  Luckily this month I have been able to recruit Cameron to keep me company.  We have gone shopping I don't even know how many times.  Everyone pretty much stares at us because they think I am his wife, it's weird.  After that I recruited his girl friend to come with us and Cameron resorted to calling me "Mom." Not cool. Haha.

5 Months

Ethan
Approximately 19lbs! Holy Moly!!! We don't have a doctors appointment until 6 months so we don't know his stats.
He is wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 and 6-9 month clothes.

He is mobile!
He is rolling over and over and over
He loves his toys
He loves to grab my hands and arms and pull them to him
He loves to chew on his hands
He is like a faucet (teething maybe?)
He is a happy boy but doesn't smile at just anyone
He still stares, it seems like he just stares right through people
He reaches for things and of course puts them in his mouth
He really is such an easy baby
He still goes to anyone
He is standing more and longer
He is so mellow and easy going
He LOVES his tummy, every time I lay him down on his back for bed he turns over and sleeps on his belly
He loves his paci and fortunately only takes it when he is tired or cranky

Ethan is very content, he is okay being set down on a play mat or in the the swing.  He loves to cuddle with Mama and coo.  He loves to touch our faces and put our fingers in his mouth.

He has the softest, plumpest most kissable cheeks. I could his and cuddle him all day.


Ethan is no longer allowed to be on the bed if I am not on it with him.  The other night I got up for their 3AM feeding and Ethan was screaming bloody murder, I picked him up and held him for a minute then put him in the center of my bed, ran to get Ellie and ran back just in time to see Ethan roll himself right off the edge of my bed!  Luckily I got their just in time and he fell right into my arm and never hit the floor.  It scared the heck out of me!  I had to put both screaming babies on the bed and take a breather before I fed them because I was so shaken.  Now Ethan enjoys the floor or the swing when I have to grab Ellie.



Ellie
Approximately 15.5lbs! My little peanut is not so little anymore!!
She is wearing Size 1 diapers and 3-6 month clothes

She is so alert and happy
She is easily amused
She giggles at the most random things
She smiles when her dad is in the room, even if he is playing with Ethan and not her
She loves to sing to herself
She sucks her thumb when she is tired (I LOVE IT)
She screams when she is tired but falls asleep relatively quickly when she is being held
She is so ticklish! Her little armpits and thighs are the sweet spots that get her laughing
She loves to talk and coo even when no one is paying attention
She grabs my necklaces and plays with them
She still goes to anyone
She loves her daddy
She has no interest in rolling but is starting to lean over to her side
She loves to put her fingers in her mama's mouth

Ellie is very playful.  She is a social butterfly and does not like being put down by herself.  She wants everyone's attention and she will award it with smiles and giggles.

She is starting to do this thing where she is crying but trying to keep her mouth shut. Her bottom lip sticks out when she frowns and she makes the most adorable sad puppy face that it is so hard for me to not pick her up all the time and spoil her.

Our babies are little swimmers!  We took them swimming for the first time a few weeks ago at my parents.  It was late in the day so the water was warm but the air was a little cooler.  Ellie seemed to enjoy herself because when we put her in her float boat she was kicking under water.  Neither one cried or laughed so it has been pretty hard to gauge if they like it or not but we keep going because the weather has been nice and the water has been warm and they don't seem to mind. :o)

This last month we took a trip to Utah for a family reunion and we drove both ways.  It was an experience.  The babies did really well for 9 out of the 10 hours both ways, that other hour it was rough.  I would sit in the back and try and soothe both babies but all they wanted was out of their chairs and into our arms.  At one point I was able to soothe Ellie by putting the Curious George book in her face and she actually grabbed the other end and looked at it like she was reading it.  We took a picture because it was the funniest thing!

Lately both babies have been noticing my food and watching me put it in my mouth.  They are fully ready for cereal but I am holding off until they are 6 months since they are both doing really well just nursing.  For now I am enjoying their new interest.

Both babies are happily enjoying the discovery of their feet, I must say that I love this stage!  They are so stinking cute grabbing their toes and trying to shove them in their mouths.


They are excellent little sleepers.  Right now they are sleeping 8PM-3AM-8AM and it is wonderful!  They nap 3 times a day; 10-12, 2-3 and 4:30-6 give or take an hour here and there.

Lastly, both of them now respond to the sound of their names.  Brian and Ellie were playing where Brian had Ellie's hand on top of his and then make it jump and hit his hand and when he stopped she did it on her own!

I am really loving being a mom, it is the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. I love watching them grow and discover new things.  I love being able to calm them right down when they are upset.  I love making them laugh and smile.  I love taking care of them.  I love them.

Take me out to the ball game!

Last night we took the babes to their first baseball game!  Everyone was sporting the Angels colors, even the babies had little Angels onesies!  We were so lucky to share this with both Grandpa George and Grandpa Neilson!

The Angels played the Mariners and it was an awesome game!  I don't think Ellie agreed though, the Angels got two back to back home runs which of course had everyone up and cheering as well as fireworks after each one to celebrate...she was not happy about it, she screamed and cried so of course we had to capture it on film  :o)  All in all though the babies did very well and everyone had a great time!

Here are a few pictures of our night

At 4 Months...

4 Months

Ethan aka Bubba, Big Man, Love Bug
Weight: 17.6 lbs 90%, Length 27 inches 98%  BIG BOY!!!

Loves to talk to himself, I catch him all the time just babbling along
Loves to stare at his hands
Loves to cuddle with Mama and almost anyone else
Loves to chew on his hands
Knows how to roll over!  He did it first on May 30!
Can hold his head up
Will stand but not for very long
Not a big fan of being held up high
Has the cutest giggles and he really makes you work for them.
Loves his Mama, he is now able to grip with his arms and I love, love, love it!  A few weeks ago I was reaching across him for Ellie and he wrapped his arms around my arm, my heart melted, it was the sweetest thing.
He is the easiest baby, he will sit with practically anyone and not make a peep, just mold his little body to theirs and hang out.
He likes to stare and recently is noticing Mama eat, I think he is almost ready for rice cereal which makes me happy and sad at the same time.  They grow way too fast!
Just started to notice himself in the mirror
Is starting to splish splash a little in the bath
He is starting to grab things, other than my hair, like this giant giraffe thing and his pacifier
When he gets upset he doesn't cry, he yells wah wah wah wah wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh almost like he is speaking the sounds like words, it is SO loud.
He still has blue eyes but now with a hint of brown in the center

Ellie aka Peanut, Little Lady, Sweetie
Weight: 14.3lbs 30%, 25cm 55%  My little lady bug

Loves to talk to Mama and Daddy we think she knows "hi" "clean" (although it sounds more like keen) and Brian swears she says "igloo" ha
Loves her Daddy, lights up and smiles whenever she sees him (melts my heart)
Smiles all the time and at almost anyone
Loves sleeping in her swing, she will sleep for hours in it
She loves being held up high like an airplane, she thinks it is so funny
She can stand really well, almost without us holding her
She laughs all the time which is my new favorite sound
She sucks her adorable little thumb when she gets tired, it is the sweetest thing ever.
When I get the babies in the middle of the night for their feeding I don't talk to them (it helps them go right back to bed) but Ellie is usually all smiles so I smile at her and fight so hard not to open my mouth and talk to her.
She is very high maintenance, she wants to be held and bounced all the time.  If you put her down she gets sad and pouts her little lips. (Yep already knows how to work the heart strings)
Sometimes she will wake up with the saddest screams and cries, I was told they are separation cries, breaks my heart.
She still has blue eyes but now with a hint of brown in the center

Both babies are going through this phase where they get really quiet and straight faced when they are in anywhere but home.  They are wide eyed taking everything in and once they do then they seem to relax slightly and begin to nervously smile as long as mom or dad are holding them.

They are very happy babies and they LOVE being talked to. If I want to get anything done they have to be napping or really into their play mat otherwise they want attention and I cannot resist giving it to them.

They will play under their play mat for anywhere from 5-30 minutes and kick and grab the hanging toys.  They also love to stare at the little star that lights up and plays music.

They got their first cold, although mild, this last week and it completely ruined their sleeping pattern.  They were slightly congested and had tiny coughs.  They went from sleeping 9:30PM-3:30AM-7:30AM to down at 10 up at 12, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8.... not fun... I felt like I had newborns again.

Lately they have both become very shy, they will stare at people but not smile, especially Ethan, he just stares. Ellie will smile but then look away and bury her face in my shirt.

At 3 Months

Dumb that I still can't rotate these photos...

Month 3

Ethan
(No stats this month, no doctor visit)
He is in size 1 diapers
Goes by: Little Man, Handsome Boy, Ethan Boy, Turtle, Mama's boy, Cuddle Bug

He is smiling a lot more
Holding his head up more
He loves to stare
Cooing
Still doesn't love being bathed
Doesn't like eye contact with anyone but Mama
Still takes his pacifier but only when he is tired and ready for bed


Ellie
(Again, no stats this month, no doctor visit)
She is still in Newborn diapers
Goes by: Peanut, Pretty Girl, Ellie Belly, Ellie Girl, Baby Girl

She is very alert
Holding her head up
Starting to stand for a second or two
Cooing
Still doesn't love baths but loves to watch herself getting bathed in the mirror
Smiles at herself in the mirror
Starting to suck her thumb more than her pacifier

At 2 Months

Month 2 Stats (or rather 10 weeks)

Ethan 13lbs 9oz (50th percentile), 24 1/2 inches long (85th percentile)
Loves his mama
Loves his paci, it soothes him quickly
Is super laid back and easy
Cuddles like a teddy bear
Is super low maintenance
Is not a fan of baby lotion
Likes to pee on mama
Is starting to smile and coo
Can hold his own head up
Loves tummy time
Loves to sleep on his tummy

Ellie 10lbs 10oz (5th percentile), 24 inches long (75th percentile)
Loves her daddy who nicknamed her "Hot Pocket" and "Chipotle"
Is selective when taking her paci
Is a little high maintenance
Doesn't like being put down
Only cuddles after she's fallen asleep
Is not a fan of baby lotion
Is starting to smile and coo
Loves when mama says "All clean" after baths
Still hates tummy time
Loves to be held and swaddled
Can hold her own head up

Both babies love being sung to.  They sleep in a fairly regular schedule.  Down at 11:30 PM, up at 3:30 to eat, down at 4:00, up at 6:30 back down at 7 and up at 9.  Love to be talked to and held.

At 1 Month

For some reason blogger isn't allowing me to rotate this picture.

Month 1 stats: (well 6 weeks)

Ethan 10lbs 11oz (25th percentile), 23 1/8 in. long (84th percentile)
He is our little cuddle bug
Loves laying on his tummy and having his back rubbed
Has an awesome hair line, long on the sides and back and short on top.  We call it our little old man hair.
Has a cowlick in the front like his daddy.
His hair is dark brown
Has blue eyes like his mama, for now anyways
Ethan's umbilical cord fell out on 2/8.
Loves his paci
Loves being swaddled

Ellie 8lbs 1oz  (2nd percentile), 22 in. long (50th percentile)
She is our little peanut
Does not like tummy time
Always wants to be held
Loves sleeping on Mommy's chest
Has an adorable little dimple on her right cheek
Her hair is dark brown
Has blue eyes, again... for now
Has long feet
Loves to wiggle down so her face is hidden in her blanket when she sleeps
Loves being swaddled

Mommy and Daddy love napping with babies on their chest and hardly ever put them down.

They're Here!

I know I am very late in writing about this but to be honest I debated back and forth whether or not I should even post the story of their birth or just try to forget it.  In the end I know that I will one day look back and wish I would have documented it so here it goes.

The end of my pregnancy was really hard.  The babies weren't coming and I wasn't dilating anymore than 2 centimeters.  I was 39 weeks and my doctor said this is the time to either schedule a c section or to induce.  This was the decision I had been dreading my entire pregnancy.  I was torn between the ease and non stressful c section or the preferred vaginal delivery with possible c section in the case something goes wrong and the other one can't come out naturally.  After much prayer and a blessing I came to the decision of scheduling a cesarean.  I didn't know how the babies or I would do on Pitocin and I didn't want to find out the hard way and have to have both a natural delivery and a c section.

I scheduled it for Friday, February 3rd at 1:00 PM.  The time came for us to go and I couldn't be more excited.  We arrived at the hospital and I was practically giddy.  Surprisingly I had not a single nerve.  I wasn't nervous about the spinal injection or the delivery or anything.  We were sent to a small patient room to change and be prepped.  Brian was there any my mom got special permission to be there also.  Here is us before we made the short walk to the O.R.  I am HUGE!!!!

We walked to the O.R where I had to part ways momentarily with Brian and Mom while they gave me the spinal and prepped me for surgery.  Everything seemed so easy, a slight quick burn of the numbing needle, small pressure from the spinal needle and legs numb in seconds.  What came next was not expected, I laid down and immediately fell short of breath, I asked for oxygen and they put the mask on... it didn't help.  I couldn't breathe, I remember looking at the nurses trying to say, "Can't breathe, can't breathe, can't breathe."  The anesthesiologist was behind me and said, "I'm sorry, it appears I have given you too much."  NOT what you want to hear!   The nurses kept saying, if you're talking you're breathing Honey, your lungs are moving, slow deep breaths.SO ANNOYING!!  Normally the spinal only numbs you from the waist down, I had so much that it numbed me from the neck down.  Brian came in and was squeezing my hand and I couldn't squeeze it back.  I was panicking.  I couldn't even move my head to the other side to look at my mom and Brian.  I tried to tell the nurse that I was panicking but all I could do was mouth the word Panic.  I thought I was going to suffocate on the table.  I remember them putting up the curtain so I couldn't see them cut me open and feeling claustrophobic.   Baby A was out and I didn't hear any crying, then Baby B was out and the doctor held her up and I could barely see the outline of her little body, then I was put out.

I woke up in the recovery room to Brian showing me pictures on the camera and telling me that baby boy was 8lbs and 10oz!!! Then I remember a baby put on my chest, a picture, then another baby, a picture and then a stroll on the bed to my room.  I was so drugged that I was barely coherent.  Our close family came the same day to see the babies and I was in and out of sleep.  My internal temperature was very low so they had to wrap me in a plastic heating material overnight, it was awful, I felt so hot and sweaty but I was still cold.  The worst part of the whole experience was that I felt disconnected from my babies.  I remember looking at them in their little boxes thinking, who are they?  Did they really come from me?  I was devastated at how everything turned out.  No easy delivery, no seeing my babies as they came out, no cute picture with them at my head no nothing.  I was in a ton of pain where I was cut open, I felt like death from the drugs and I was heartbroken.  I couldn't be excited, it's a terrible feeling when you go from giddy to sad and disconnected in the blink of an eye, after all this was what I thought I wanted and to have it come the way it did really took a toll on me.

We didn't even have names picked out, the second day in the hospital was crunch time so we turned to a little sheet of paper we scribbled some names on the day before and decided on Ethan Brian and Ellie Renee.  Ethan was a name I saw on an Ethan Allen commercial but forgot about and Matt, Brian's brother suggested to Brian close to the end.  I wrote it on the list because we both seemed to like it.  Then a few nights earlier Brian sent me an email from work and said what about Ellie (he had been listening to a song and the singer was apparently named Ellie)?  I said Yes!  We both liked the name Elle but thought that it would be weird having a name that sounded like a letter so when he said Ellie we liked it and it too went on the list with a few others.  The day before d day I took the few names we had and began combining them boy/girl.  When I wrote Ethan and Ellie something clicked for me.  When we were in the hospital it was the first time we both agreed on names.  Then Renee came from my middle name that I also share with my mom and Brian came from, obviously, Brian.

The first few nights were rough, if I'm being honest the first few weeks were rough. I was sleep deprived, healing, drugged and depressed.  Not a good combination.  I should stop and say that I did have joy in my babies but it wasn't the overwhelming joy that I had so often read about.  That came later.

Needless to say it wasn't the easy peasy delivery I had anticipated but in the end, it was worth it.

February 3, 2012

Ethan Brian George

8lbs 10oz 20 inches long

All of the doctors and nurses kept commenting that they have NEVER seen such a huge twin.  He was slightly jaundice and lost 15% of his body weight the first few days but gained it back within 2 weeks.

Ellie Renee George

6lbs 2oz 19 inches long

She was the itty bitty baby I thought I would never have!  She lost 12% of her body weight and was also able to gain it back within 2 weeks, but still trails her big brother.

Our Babes are STUBBORN

I am officially 38 weeks and 4 days... if you would have told me I would still be pregnant today back in December I would have cried.  Typical twin pregnancies deliver between 32 and 37 weeks.... obviously that is not the case here.  I really should be proud that my pregnancy and babies are extremely healthy to have lasted this long.  In the back of my head though I am just panicking at just HOW big they are getting to be.

Last week we called the doctor about inducing and the nurse said we can induce as early as Wed, Feb 1st, so we scheduled it.  Then at our dr apt on Thursday we were told that since our babies are healthy the hospital won't allow us to induce until Friday, Feb 3rd.  To be honest I was a little bit relieved because I really dont like the idea of inducing.  The doctor said that the risk when inducing is a longer labor, higher chance of cesarean etc... I am praying that I go into labor on my own before Friday because I don't know if I could pull the trigger to induce.

We have another dr appointment today where we get an ultrasound, heart monitoring and checked by the doctor. My dr knows just how frustrated I have been that now he always starts off with, I will check you to see if you are dilated as long as you promise not to be sad if you're not... I must show my emotions on my sleeve. ha!

At this point I am just praying to go into labor on my own before Friday.  I'll try to keep everyone posted.

Have Patience to Perservere

MpThese last few weeks have been particularly rough for me.  My doctor said I could go into labor now and not have to worry about any complications with the babies.  This was huge for me because I finally felt like, ok let's get this show in the road.  Much to my own disappointment all of my contractions have slowed down if not stopped.  I thought for sure that these babes would have made their debut by now especially with all the preterm labor and bed rest I have been having. 

After much walking, squats, spicy food, etc. nothing is happening.  The hardest part for me is knowing that it could happen any moment and not knowing when.  If I knew a date then I could relax and just hang out until then... I have even tried pretending their was a date or using my actual due date as the date but it doesn't work. 

To add insult to injury, i threw my neck out yesterday so now my pain totals are even higher.  Today I decided to go to www.lds.org and watch some of the Mormon Messages.  One stood out to me particularly called Continue in Patience, if you have a sec I highly recommend watching it. It's a very sweet message.

http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#continue-in-patience

"Gods promises are not always fulfilled as quickly or in the way we might hope. Patience means staying with something until the end, it means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. "

I do not know why I have not had these babies yet, but I have faith that God is keeping them in for a reason and only he knows what's best.  I have so much to be thankful for and need to keep an eternal perspective that this is His plan and that I can endure a little longer until he is ready to let them enter this world. 

Baby Arrival Update

We went to the doctor today to get an update on how the babies are doing and to see if I can get off bed rest.  I am 36 weeks tomorrow and so happy that I have made it this far, especially with all the preterm labor I have been having.

The babies look good. Baby boy appears to have some fluid in his kidney but the doctor says that most of the time it goes away on its own after delivery. I guess the tube that goes from his kidney to his bladder is 2 centimeters when it should only be 8 millimeters, scary if you ask me.  I guess it's not super bad because the doctor isn't rushing me into the OR for an emergency delivery.

We learned that our babies legs are measuring in the 98th percentile which is LONG!  We also learned that our little man is weighing in at a whopping 6 lbs 14 ounces, 78th percentile and our little lady is a modest 6 lbs 6 ounces, 58th percentile. Gosh I hope they come sooner rather than later!! They are great size babies for twins but I'm afraid if they stay in much longer I am going to have two huge babies to deliver!

The doctor told us he is extremely happy that we made it this far and is ok with them delivering any day now... Woohoo!!! So I am off bed rest, even though I can barely do more than I did while on it.  We'll have to see how it all goes... I'm not dilated at all and my cervix is still shut so this might be a while.. Bring on the lunges, spicy food, walking etc!

Cravings throughout my pregnancy

It's funny because when I thought about getting pregnant I always wondered what kinds of weird cravings I would have.  This post is really just for me to remember the little things that I craved so if it's boring I apologize.

In the very beginning I had no cravings what so ever. I felt great, no morning sickness no nothing.  Brian even asked me one morning, aren't you supposed to be sick? That was short lived. We told our parents on Father's Day and I was 7 weeks along.  My first major food aversion was pineapple and that started the same day.  It seemed like as soon as we told eveyone I got sick.  I had morning sickness for about 3 weeks straight.  It was so bad that I had to cut back hours at work and could not think of anything to eat.  The only thing I wanted was a baked potato and the only place to get one was Wendys.  I went there so often that the lady that works the drive thru recognizes me now.   In the morning at work I would force myself to eat a toasted english muffins with peanut butter and a glass of milk.  

It's funny because at lunch time I would have to look at pictures of food to see what looked good and what didn't so I knew what would settle ok in my stomach... Well that was really tough because more often then naught nothing looked good.   I remember one time the only thing that sounded good was a steak quesadilla from Taco Bell and the closest one to my work was 20 minutes away.  I remember getting to the drive thru and being so hungry and cranky that I wanted to yell at the cars in front of me, "Can you PLEASE hurry up?!? I am going to die if I don't get this quesadilla in the next minute!!! Don't you know that I am pregnant here?!"  For breakfast everyday after the first month or so all I wanted were english muffins and eggs, i could literally eat it for every meal.  Saltines didn't work, ginger ale didn't work, all the usual remedies didn't work for my nausea

After I learned I was pregnant with twins I downloaded a book called What to expect with Twins, Triplets and Quads.  In it the author talks about gaining weight and how crucial it is to gain it in the first and second trimester.  They recommend eating hig fat meals, for example, for lunch you should eat a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake. Sounds awesome right?! Well it wasn't. I followed their recommended diet for one day which included a big breakfast, hearty "snack" (which includes a bowl of cereal or a large muffin with milk, those are meals for me normally), then that stellar lunch I described, another hearty "snack" and then a big dinner.... It was the first time out of maybe 3 times that I threw up. My body couldn't handle that kind of diet even for a day... So from then on I decided I would only eat what sounded good and when I was hungry. 

I craved Del Combo Burritos from Del Taco, hamburgers, MEAT, enoug said.  Then for a while all I wanted was pizza and pasta with tomato sauce. For about two weeks Oreos were a big deal, i could eat a whole sleeve in one sitting with milk however I limited myself to half a sleeve a day ha! Then it switched to cereal and milk, I was drinking whole milk like it was going out of style. I would go through two gallons a week! 

For the first two trimesters I wasn't craving anything sweet, the sight of sugar just churned my stomach.  Once the doctor handed me my glucose juice and told me to drink it at the next appointment all of the sudden my eyes were wide open and searching for sugar. I wanted milk shakes, cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, etc. So strange. 

I do have healthy cravings like Cutie oranges, roasted tomatoes, strawberries, etc.

Now that I am 36 weeks my cravings change day to day, right now it's brownies, two days ago it was the pork barbicoa salad from cafe rio, before that it was crunchy tacos from del taco, then eggs, etc.

This has been quite the roller coaster and I am so excited for it to be over!!

A few maternity photos

Yesterday I decided that if I wanted any maternity photos then I would have to do them quickly. So I finally did my hair and make up and Brian grabbed his camera and here are a few of our amateur photos... Don't mind the weird look on my face in some, I promise, I'm not mad at my belly. Ha!

My Tuesday hosptial visit

On Monday night i was having painful cramps/contractions.  I thought they would get better if i went to bed earlier but that was wishful thinking. On Tuesday I had my next doctors appointment so i wanted to try and hold off on calling the doctor. Tuesday morning I woke up still contracting so i called my doctors office to see if i could come in sooner and they rescheduled. I went in at 10:45 and had an ultrasound to check my cervix, 2.99 centimeters thick.  Apparently my body is having an inner battle with itself. It doesn't want to grow anymore but it doesn't want to let the babies out.  They also hooked me up to monitors and determined that it was enough to send me back to the hospital. I had another fetalfibernectin(sp?) test done which is supposed to help predict the odds of delivering in the next two weeks, however i was told that the accuracy of the test dwindles around 34 weeks and i was 34 weeks and 4 days.

At the hospital i was hooked up to another iv, joy, and was given another injection of terbutaline. This time i experienced my first unpleasant nurse and super uncomfortable bed. Luckily after about 3 hours i was moved into a huge beautiful suite that made up for it. I was so comfortable that i would have been ok if i had to stay there up until delivery. 

My doctor sent in a high risk specialist to talk to me about all the preterm labor.  Since i haven't had any complicatiins other than preterm labor she wasn't too concerned.  She did say that it wouldn't surprise her if i came back one to two more times before delivery to stop preterm labor....yay...

I was at the hospital overnight and given a second dose of terbutaline. My contractions slowed way down and i was given the ok to go home on strict bedrest.  The plan is to get me to the 13th at the earliest, 36 weeks and then i am "allowed" to go into labor so i won't be on strict bedrest after next Friday but should still take it easy and rest. 

I must admit this is so much harder than i ever could have imagined, but i know it will be worth it.