Beauty and the Beef: Four Months!

Okay, I am still behind on some holiday posts but I am trying to keep on top of the boys' updates. Yesterday A&W turned 4 months old! They are no longer my teeny tiny babies. I admit a certain level of melancholy at packing up and/or giving away their newborn and 0-3 month clothing. These little boys have been so blessed with clothes from their shower as well as hand-me-downs. At the rate they are growing, I feel like I am always having to go through and get the smaller sizes switched for the larger ones. For the most part the little men are in 3-6 month clothing and are fitting into some 6-9 months. They seem to be built like their daddy (at least for the time being) and have the majority of their height in their torso. This means that their clothes fit nice and snug in the chest and a little long on their legs. They also have huge noggins. Part of the reason they need the 6-9 month clothing is because of the inability to get smaller sizes over their heads. They are graduating to size 2 diapers. Their weight will be checked later this week but I am guesstimating that Abraham is 13-14 pounds and Winston is about 15 lbs. We shall see how accurate or inaccurate that guess is.

Due to those heads, they are a bit top heavy and are working to strengthen their necks. They are getting better with the Bumbos but tire out pretty quickly with trying to keep their heads steady. They are enjoying tummy time more and roll over pretty quickly now. Both boys like to go from their backs and lay on their side. They can roll over from back to front as well but apparently just don't feel like it very often. They are starting to really vocalize and mornings are filled with shrieks and squeaks. They love to blow raspberries and are learning to mimic sounds and faces. For example, I will make an 'o' with my lips and make a surprised face and Winston copies me. They can be grumpy first thing when they wake up but typically have a smile for their morning greeting. They go down around 8:30 to 9:00 and typically fall asleep within a few minutes without crying. Abraham sleeps through the night pretty consistently but Winston wakes up about 5 hours later, eats and falls right back to sleep. We are on the fence about letting him cry it out. It's hard being a parent and trying to figure out the right thing to do. My main concern is that the boys are on track with their growth so it just may mean more night feedings for now. The boys are still nursing and are typically supplemented with one bottle of formula a day. This is where I will be honest and say that keeping up with them is exhausting and I am most likely going to incorporate solids sooner than I thought. Tonight we actually tried some bananas pureed with breast milk. Both boys did well and Abraham even grabbed the spoon and shoved it into his mouth. I think they are showing signs they are ready for solids and it will take some pressure off of me from feeling like Betsy the milk cow. They are chewing on their fingers and/or their brother's fingers on a pretty consistent basis. Between that and drooling, I think they may be starting to teethe (but then again I thought that before and it was just general crankiness).

The boys love their play mat and both grasp the toys above them. Abraham also stands now with his arms supported. They have been pushing up on their legs for a couple months but Abraham is supporting his full body weight. Have I mentioned this is all going too fast for this mama? They both like to fold their hands in front of them. We joke that they are in deep prayer. Winston started the snorting but Abraham picked it up quickly as well. They sound like my little 'Porky' pigs.

Playing is hard work and tuckers them out. Winston (left) sleeps with

eyes half open so he won't miss anything.

Happy Boys: Abraham with his flirty grin and Winston

with his gummy smile and tongue sticking out.

The biggest difference between the boys right now is really their little personalities. They hit milestones within days of each other so it's hard to think of major differences but have no doubt that they are different people entirely. Abraham is a flirt and loves to give a coy smile that reminds me a kewpie doll (although I am only 29 years old, I do know what those are). Winston's smile takes up his whole face and he sticks out his tongue quite often. As I mentioned before, Abraham is a sleeper and a good napper. He decides he is tired and will fall asleep without a problem. Winston fights naps with an incredible determinism. I think it just comes down to their little personalities, Abraham is more independent and Winston wants to constantly interact and socialize. Abraham will play on the floor by himself, go down for a nap, sit in his car seat, etc. with much less fuss than Winston. I think Winston doesn't want to miss out on what is happening around him so he fights to stay awake and when he does nap it is much shorter than Abraham. We are learning that stimuli have to be removed in order for Winston to nap whereas Abraham will crash for two hours despite lots of ambient noise and light. We are constantly learning in this journey of parenthood and there truly is never a dull moment. We are so blessed to be the parents of these little boys and discover new joys in raising them each day.