Video...finally!

Pterodactyls and iPhones

So what is new with us?  I am currently holding down the fort here.  Eric comes back from a work trip tomorrow.  Fortunately, his first two trips have been short so it has given me a chance to acclimate to him being gone.  My sweet husband decided to get me the new iPhone so that we could stay in touch with FaceTime.  I love him.  I am totally the type that takes a gesture like that to be really romantic.  Roses die and fancy dinners out can pad the hips but iPhones are forever (okay that's a bit of a reach).  It meant a lot to me however that he prioritized getting me a new phone so that we could stay connected. I was so excited because I thought I was going to be able to post a video but I am having technical difficulties with my phone syncing with You Tube.

I mentioned a while back that Abraham was my careful eater.  Yeah well, he let me know how he felt about a rice and green bean mixture the last two nights.  He was eating straight green beans a couple of days ago but I made the mistake of adding pureed white rice.  The child apparently prefers the store bought rice cereal.  He alternated between blowing raspberries with his mouth completely full thus projecting white rice and green bean mixture everywhere or just pushing it out with his tongue.  Oh, he also made a screeching sound like a pterodactyl as he was pushing the food out.  It was so ridiculous that I was trying not to laugh. The last thing I wanted to do was encourage that behavior however.  The crazy thing is that Winston was sitting right next to him chowing down on the exact same thing and getting antsy when it took too long for me to give him another bite.  These babies and their flip flopping. Man, now I am bummed I cannot get that video up.  Trust me, it's hilarious.  Hopefully I can get it figured out this week. 

I absolutely love being the mommy to these boys, every messy bit of it.  Sure they have their moments but how can I not just melt when I get a face like the one below?

"What, do I have I have something on my face?"

Random Friday

Happy Friday everyone!

The jumble in my head:

-This week has been really long and I am glad it is almost over. Eric started his new job (yay!) but it also meant extra early wake ups and a shift in the routine for the whole family again. It always takes a little while to get acclimated.

-Our friend Caitlyn has started watching the boys three days a week. We are bringing the boys to her house and I was nervous about them being in a new environment and being difficult but so far so good (thank you Jesus).

-Yesterday I got one of those “You look tired” comments. Yeah, one of those. Doesn’t that make a girl feel grand?

-Fall is really here. Last week it was gloomy and we had our first snow in the valley. I was not ready for that at all. This week has been bee-you-ti-ful however. All the leaves are changing color and I love, love, love it.

-Apparently Downton Abbey Season Two has premiered in the UK but won’t be showing here until January which means it’s going to be a long time until I actually get to see it (we don’t have cable).

-The boys are “talking” up a storm. They are using their real voices (instead of the coos) and are running through the sounds they have learned to make. Abraham will repeat ‘da-da-da’ but does not associate it with Eric. Winston is still the ‘ma-ma-ma’ maker but does not associate it with me. They can also make the ba, ra, na and ga sounds. Who knows how long it will be until they start saying real words.

-I think my kids have fat feet. I was given the cutest 6-12 month shoes and I cannot get the boys’ feet in them. In theory they look long and wide enough but the height (fatness?) cannot be crammed in there. I just bought them 12-24 month socks. I have a hard enough time getting them to keep socks on nonetheless shoes. I am thinking if I bought them shoes right now they would need a 4 or 5 to accommodate the girth of their feet. Isn’t that big for how old they are? And that is not a rhetorical question; I am really wondering about that.

-I am totally thinking about a Thanksgiving dinner menu (because we’re hosting this year) as well as Christmas card photos. I am so excited for the boys’ first Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

-We are planning (Lord willing) on going to So Cal for Christmas. I have been home sick the last several months and want A&W to meet my extended family as well as friends.

-There was an incredible potluck hosted by the Bureau of Waste Management this past week. There was pumpkin cheesecake. Enough said. I am telling myself I will get back on the band wagon with healthier eating again.

-I forgot some parts for my pump today. I normally keep spare parts handy for that exact reason but I had used them recently and, of course, had failed to bring them back. This meant a frenzied run to Target on my lunch break. Breastfeeding is a labor of love. Breastfeeding and having to pump because I work full time? Labor of love plus a little insanity thrown in there for good measure.

-My family (mom, stepdad and brother) is coming in tomorrow. My house is a disaster and I am trying to get myself motivated to power clean once I am home. The laundry monster never seems to be one I can slay. I cut it down but then it comes back for more.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Abraham sees Winston's free thumb and does not let the opportunity pass him by.

Yep, the crankiness tells me it's time for bed.

Seven Months!

The little guys have hit the seven month mark. Every month with these kids is better than the last. Their little personalities have really started to blossom and we notice more and more their individual quirks.

Abraham makes himself more than comfortable on Winston's lap.

Winston did not approve.

Abraham (left) and Winston

They are getting some chunk on them and are growing at a rate that puts their clothes in constant rotation. Their hair has grown in more this last month and they have full heads of fuzzy reddish-brown hair. They each have two teeth. They still love their jumper and “command center.” We laugh at how they really get going in the jumper and jump so hard that they gain air. Their little butts start to lift off the seat and they tuck in their legs and then they come crashing down again. Trust me; they are pretty impressed with themselves when they do that. The biggest change in terms of skills this last month is the improvement in their hand eye coordination and dexterity. Last month they would grab for things in a sweeping motion or struggle to move a bead on a loop on the exersaucer. Now they understand how to pinch their fingers and grasp things more precisely. They definitely are getting curious and will grab anything in front of them, so we have to be careful. In the evenings before bed, we try to get some play time on the floor. They roll all around and wiggle their little legs but show no signs of crawling or pulling themselves up yet. They can sit up using a tripod configuration with their hands near their feet but can only do so for maybe five seconds. They are still top heavy and start falling to the side or progressively slide forward until they look they’re bent in half.

Kisses for Abraham.

Abraham plays peek-a-boo around Winston

One big thing I have noticed this last month as well is that they are gaining a greater level of self-control as well as trust in us (or a combination of the two). Whereas they used to cry really hard when I would go to change their diaper before feeding them, they now only cry a little bit or not at all, calmly wait until the diaper change is finished and then they get fed. Same outcome but much less stressful! Granted they cry when they get impatient about other things but it's improvement and I will take it.  It is a place that I am grateful to get to because no one likes to listen to baby cry while you’re working hard to care for them. It’s even worse when one feeds off the other and you’re one parent or caretaker matched against two crying babies.

The boys are playing in their formal wear. Winston (left) and Abraham.

These boys just make me smile.

They think our little dogs Scooter and Suzie are really interesting and watch their movements with fascination. They are starting to give real giggles. When I smile at them, they mimic my squinty-eyed smile. They coo and talk in their cribs when they wake up in the morning. They smile and talk to one another. They typically go to bed between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m. and will sleep anywhere from 8-12 hours before waking up to eat. Of course, I love when they make it the full twelve hours! They like car rides and going to different places. Our shopping trip this last weekend was a success and Winston only cried at the tail end of the drive home as we ran about fifteen minutes past their normal dinner time. These kids thrive on routine.

Beautiful Abraham

Abraham is becoming the dominant baby when it is just the two babies and family. He seems to be making up for being squished by Winston in my tummy by getting in his brother’s face when they play. When out in public however he tends to be shyer and just watches people. He has a stubborn streak and is not fazed by the word ‘no.’ He gives such a little mischievous and flirty smile.  He is a good eater and opens his mouth very precisely to take all the food off the spoon with hardly any mess. Abraham seems to really love the dogs and gives a loud giggle at their antics. He does this funny little thing now where he shakes his head real fast to make himself dizzy.  He gets silly and giggly when he is overly tired (just like his mama).

 Sweet Winston

Winston seems to be our more sensitive soul and is such a sweet little guy. In public, he just smiles at whoever gives him a smile which of course means a lot of smiles alla round. I could see him being our more outgoing child in the future. He cries when Abraham starts rolling on him or gets his hand in his face. He is very watchful and observant. He is also affectionate and turns his cheek so that he can get kisses and will return them with an open mouth. You have to turn your head fast or he might get your nose. He responds to music in an incredible way. He loves his mobile and the lullaby it plays. He also loves when we put on music in the car or at home.  He is so calm and attentive if we put on classical music. Winston wants to be where the people are and will let you know when he wants to be held and snuggled. 

 Play time on the floor just before bed.

Abraham (left) and Winston.

I had so many pictures from the last month that I wanted to share but I also wanted to be somewhat reasonable in what I posted.  I also need to get ready for bed eventually.  Every night we thank the Lord for these precious boys and for allowing us to be their parents.  I feel like I am always saying that but it's the truth.  These boys are such a tremendous blessing and it just gets better.

Mr. Mom No More

So the exciting news in our neck of the woods is that Eric is starting a new job! Praise God! We know that we are very blessed to have Eric gainfully employed again only a short number of weeks after losing his job. It is something we do not take for granted and we see God’s sovereignty in all His dealings with us. Eric starts his new job on Monday so that would make today his last day as a stay at home parent. So many things have changed in the last five weeks for our family and I know we are still trying to absorb the reality of it all. Even though Eric has been reading through his employee handbook and signing paperwork, I know these realities are not going to hit us for a little while longer. With his new job, Eric will be traveling a fair amount and we both agreed that when he goes away for the first time, all of this will really start to settle in. Eric loves to travel (we both do actually) so I know he is as excited as a little kid to start this next venture in life. Obviously the boys and I will miss him when he is gone but all the positives of his new position far outweigh the inconvenience of him being gone on occasion.

So tomorrow we are going to have a family shopping day and go to Reno to get stuff for Eric’s new job. He needs steel toe boots, wool socks and some warmer clothing because he will be in the Nevada mining territory and it gets crazy cold in the mountains here in the winter. The boys are at an age that it is getting easier to take them places. This will be our first major shopping outing with the babies. We have done all of our major shopping independently sans babies since they were born so this should be interesting. Our thought was that the boys can nap on the drive to Reno and back which is a good amount of time. I am looking forward to spending the day with all of us together. Normally the only public place the boys go is church where most people are very familiar with them so I know tomorrow we will be fielding a lot of “Are they twins?” questions and all the ensuing comments. And I think I am up for that tomorrow because I am feeling so happy and positive about life and am so proud of my growing family. Yes, they are twins. Yes, I am very busy. They are almost seven months old. Yes, they are identical. I can tell them apart quite easily actually. No, they were not premature. No, they are quite different in their personalities. Oh, your son’s teacher’s cousin’s pastor and his wife have twins also? Oh, but they are fraternal boy/girl twins? Awesome. My MoM friends know exactly what I am talking about.

Thanks to those that prayed for us during Eric’s period of unemployment and that he would be able to get the job that he now has. We really do appreciate it. Please continue to pray for us because we have some big decisions coming up regarding my job and child care for our dear boys. The year 2011 is proving to be a really big year in the Guddat household and we are continuously excited about the future.

Wordy Wednesday: The Teething and Feeding Edition

I have fallen off the blogger wagon as of late and am trying to get back on. I really don't have an excuse. By the end of the day I tend to feel like mush and writing is the last thing I feel like doing. I figure the only way I am going to remember this crazy twin time in our lives however is to write it down; so forgive this more verbose post as I am trying to document what is going on with our little men and how quickly they are changing.

Abraham cut his first tooth two weeks ago and Winston quickly followed last week with his. They cut the exact same tooth. At first I thought they had each cut a tooth on the opposite side from one another but it was in fact #24 that was the first tooth cut for both of them. Winston cut his second (#25) tooth earlier this week and it looks like Abraham is just days away from it as well. The actual tooth cutting has been easier than the weeks and months leading up to it. Abraham especially was like a different baby once he got over that hump. The drooling, drool rash, biting and irritability have been way less of an issue. They don’t do the random pain cry (as opposed to whiny, hungry, tired, etc.) nearly as much anymore. We hardly used any pain reliever when the teeth were coming through and not any for the tooth that just came in for Winston. It was just a matter of checking one day and sure enough they had finally come through. I am not sure if it was the teething necklaces that helped so much or that our kids just have a harder time with the earlier stages of teething as opposed to the actual cutting part. Abraham is my biter, if you catch my drift, and I have had to flick him when he does it. He has not bit me in the last four days so I am hoping he has caught on.

Eric manages to show off Winston's toothlets

This is the face Winston makes every single time he tastes his food for the first time. 

Fortunately he warms to it pretty quickly.

Also these boys love their food and were definitely ready to start getting some variety into their diets. Abraham took to eating from a spoon right away and would get grumpy if there was a deceleration in the pace. It was like a constant shoveling motion with him. Winston was tongue thrusting more and would also keep bringing his right hand up to his mouth and start sucking his thumb. We kept taking his right hand and removing it from his face while telling him no. We would also hold his hand down until he figured it out. Winston now does really well and generally has about the same pace as Abraham when it comes to eating. Winston is still our little gourmand however and will roll the food in his mouth and play with it before actually swallowing it. We tend to feed the boys separately because they get distracted by watching one another. They both eat about a cup of oatmeal mixed with breast milk in the morning and a cup of a vegetable and rice cereal mixture in the evening. Their afternoon bottle gets some oatmeal added to it as well. They are learning to drink water out of sippy cups as well as regular cups. Winston picked up the regular cup really fast. Winston would be watching me drink water and his little mouth would make the motions so I decided to give it a try. Granted it gets a little messy when they take in a little more than they actually swallow, but that’s why we only use water for now.

Abraham open his mouth nice and wide.

Winston showing how off his big boy cup.

They are packing on weight quickly with the addition of more solids to their diet. My arms get tired quickly if I am trying to hold or bounce them both at the same time e.g. at church trying to keep babies that have missed their naps happy. Collectively they are over 30 lbs. of baby and with their car seats over 40 lbs. I need to get some weight training in so I can keep up with these kids. The increase in solids also meant more sleep for Eric and me (cue the sounds of celebratory music in the background). The increase in solids has also meant waking up occasionally around 3 a.m. to some gross diapers. Seriously, I wish the kids would contain their BM’s to daylight hours but I guess that’s how their little metabolisms work. Of course once they get their diaper changed, they are even more awake and they need something to eat (read milk) before they will go back to sleep. They take after their mom in that regard, not the milk mind you, but I have to eat something if I wake up for more than a couple minutes during the middle of the night. Six months was a really big milestone for us and I think it has gotten easier juggling the needs of the two babes. The boys are at a really fun age and I am looking forward to doing their seven month post and sharing all the little personality quirks that have come out in the last several weeks.