Six Months!

Our little Abraham and Winston are hitting the half year mark tomorrow.  A&W get to celebrate by going to their Uncle Adam's wedding.  That is why I am actually early with my monthly post for once.  Fun fact: One September 9, 2010, we found out we were expecting twins!  And here we are September 9, 2011, and our little boys have been with us for nearly six months already.  That first OB appointment gave us some very unexpected news but I see where we are now, as a family of four, and I could not imagine it any other way.  Having multiples has been the most stressful and sanctifying experience of our lives but at this point the joy has surpassed all of that by leaps and bounds.

Hey, who are you?  (Winston, left; Abraham right)

Our 'Thing One' and 'Thing Two.' (Abraham, left; Winston, right.)

Our little men are becoming more expressive and are finally taking notice of one another.  They look at one another and touch each other's faces and smile.  They notice our little dogs now and watch their movements with curiousity.  They notice when mama or papa leave or enter a room.  In general, a lot more aware of their environment and the people in it.

Playing nicely together. (Winston in the green, Abraham in the blue).

Winston shows off his bouncing skills.

Abraham shows how intense concentration and
vigorous hitting will make his toy play music. 

They love to be outside and do really well in the stroller while taking walks.  They added some length to their legs and now love the jumper and the exersaucer.  The only problem now is that they both want the jumper a.k.a. "bouncy bounce" and start crying when they see the other baby using it.  They like using their toys and grasp for things really well.  They are beginning to hold their bottles. They still enjoy playing on the flloor but we have to watch out because they will roll or scooch away.  They are gaining more strength in their core but are not ready to sit up.  They are pretty top heavy so they need to lean on something in order to stay upright. 

They are still in size 3 diapers and are mostly in 6-9 month clothing.  I think their weight gain may have plateaued a bit because they look longer and leaner.  They will get weighed next week at their six month well baby appointment. The boys go down for bed at 7:30 and will sleep anywhere from 7-10 hours before waking up to eat again.  This means we get some full nights of sleep but the last week has been a bit more spotty because suspected teething.  The boys have been wearing their Baltic amber teething necklace for about 3 weeks and we noticed a substantial difference within a couple days.  They drooled less, stopped chewing on things as much and cut way back on the meds.  Now Abraham looks really close to cutting a tooth (inflamed and hard bump on his lower gum) and we have been medicating again.  Who knows though, it could be another month before it pokes through.  They both suck their fingers or thumbs for self soothing but we try to limit it to bed time. The boys are still nursing and only take formula at most for one feeding a day.  We have only progressed to rice cereal in their bottles but now that they are six months will probably start with more solids. They both do this cute thing where they cover their eyes with their hands when they are eating and ready to go to sleep. 

Abraham loves his feet and hands.  He holds his feet above him or he clasps his hands and studies them.  He is more flirty and is pretty easy to give a smile.  He has a temper, no joke.  Both babies will cry if they want to or don't want to do something because, well, they're babies. But little A brings it to a whole new level.  The child looks you right in the eye, takes a deep breath and starts to scream at the highest pitch imaginable without a single tear in his eye.  Sigh.  Trying to work with him on that one.  He makes up for it however by giving the best little hugs after he clasps his hands around our necks.  He gives this hard squeeze while burying his head on our chests.  Abraham is also getting to be a little wiggle worm and starts doing flexes and head bobs when he is eating.

This is Abraham's latest face he likes to make.

Abraham is all jumped out. 

Winston gives the biggest smiles that take up his whole face and has become a lot more mellow.  In their ever flip flopping tendencies, I would say Winston is the easier baby now.  He also naps great and has been consistently sleeping through the night.  He is a mover and when he on his belly is trying to figure out how he can get moving forward.  Winston moves his arms and legs like he is swimming and gets frustrated that he is not going anywhere.  He is a champion raspberry blower and can really get the bubbles going.  Winston tends to do this either when he is in a really good mood or when he is tired and winding down. He is also learning to use his voice and can make an 'ah, ah' sound that I am hoping will turn into a mama. 

Winston thinks his fingers are tasty. 

Hey mom, I have bubble blowing skills. 

We are crazy about these little boys.  Each day with them becomes more fun.  There are new challenges to be sure but watching them become their own little people is the most gratifying experience I have ever had.  Parenthood is awesome...now.  Those first months were really hard but God got us through it and it feels like ancient history.  Six months seems so long ago yet it seems like A&W were just born.  Isn't it a wonderful thing to be excited about the future?  These little boys make me excited. 

Labor Day

We had such a nice Labor Day. The boys have not been in the best mood the last couple days so we did not get to sleep in however. I am pretty sure it's teething because their gums are so hard and bony (and I know this because they have begun biting). We stayed in our pajamas for a while this morning and the boys played in their jumper and exersaucer. A&W are enjoying this new way of playing and it is so cute to watch them intently working on the gadgets on their respective activity centers. Midday we headed to our church's annual Labor Day picnic. It was warm but we tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. I also made sure the boys got plenty of sunscreen (they are fair like their mama). The boys did great and each took decent naps. Winston slept in the carrier facing towards me with his head on my chest and Abraham slept while cradled in Eric's arms. We ended up getting to stay quite a bit longer than we thought we would. It was nice getting to fellowship with our church family. On Sundays I get so busy baby wrangling that I don't get to have lengthy or meaningful conversations with people.

Once we got home and Winston woke up from a shorter nap, we had a nice walk around the neighborhood. It was great getting to take advantage of the weather. A cloud cover came in and it was just perfect outside. A couple from our childbirth class lives two streets down from us and they had identical twin girls. They were outside with their little munchkins so we stopped and talked for a while. We totally need to have a reunion with the three sets of twins that came from that class. Then it was bath, bottles and bed. We are heading into a busy week with Adam and Ali's wedding so it was nice having a low key family day. It's gonna be an exciting week with lots of family in town; the boys will meet their great grandma Guddat for the first time!

From today:


The Guddat twins tend to have groupies at church events. People love babies and two babies get twice the attention.


Happy Winston hamming it up for the camera. Abraham was absorbed with his hands and feet.


Sleepy Abraham in his papa's arms.


It felt so great when the cloud cover came in.

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It's Starting Already!

No doubt that MoMs have to be creative at times to take care of multiple babies at the same time. When I am home alone and need to give the babies a bath, I move the playmat into the hallway so that I can see one baby playing while I give the other baby a bath. The other night I bathed Winston and laid him on the playmat and proceeded to give Abraham his bath. From the bathroom and the boys' nursery, I can see the common area of the hallway. I was putting Abraham's pajamas on and turned to look at Winston. My heart skipped a beat because there was no baby in view on the playmat. I dashed through the doorway and Winston was laying in the doorway of our master bedroom.



I could tell that the little man was proud of himself. He was giving me a smile when I asked how he got so far from his playmat. I am envisioning two little guys crawling and walking and trying to keep up with the two of them. It's only going to get busier!

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Too Much, Too Fast and So Precious

I have said it and I will say it again: time is going by much too fast. If I ponder how much the boys have changed and grown since they were born and how they will continue to do so, I get sad. I now understand why women get antsy to have another baby shortly after giving birth. Now, I am not saying I am going to do that but I think I get it. Whereas I used to think women that had kids spaced close together (two years or less) were nuts, I can totally empathize now with the desire to do so. There is a preciousness to a new baby that is so beautiful and fleeting.

I wish I could somehow contain time, create a barrier not allowing it to progress or bottle that preciousness up. The boys are in that stage where they are discovering the world. They are looking beyond just their little circle of influence to watch how trees move in the wind, grab at objects that they are curious about and purposefully make sounds that they know will get a reaction from those around them. It makes me appreciate the world through their perspective. I wonder anew at all the things I am rediscovering through my boys.

I sit here and am trying to figure out how the boys got to be almost six months old. I seriously feel like I missed the first three months of their life. Those newborn months were a blur of feedings, diaper changes and laundry with a little sleep mixed in. If I did not have the pictures, I could not imagine them being newborns. Those videos and pictures of them as newborns are so important then to me for that reason.

So what I am trying to articulate is my desire to live with intent, focusing on my here and now and soaking all the little moments up. I have always struggled with contentment within a lot of areas. The problem with discontent is that one is always looking to the next big thing--teenagers look forward to college and freedom, singles look forward to marriage and the married couple looks forward to children--rather than enjoying the stage they are already in. Right now I am so happy to be focused on the desires that have been fleshed out in my life, my precious Abraham and Winston. I am not feeling the need to look constantly forward because my present is that wonderful. There might be other babies in the future within the Guddat household but the reality is that A&W are my babies now. I don't want to miss anything or take anything for granted. Being a working MoM is tough but I also see the blessing behind it. Maybe God in His infinite wisdom knew that I needed to work in order not to take this time with my sons for granted, to not feel burnt out with inevitable mundaneness of everyday activities. I try so hard to give A&W my best within their waking moments with me.  This working mom situation is not what I had envisioned but God saw fit to make it that way and I am learning contentment in that situation as well.  So I study their blue eyes and the dimples in their hands and try to make mental pictures that will be carried with me throughout the years.  I am seeking to cherish all the little moments that make up our lives as a whole. 

*************************************************************************

And because blogs are always more interesting with photos, I thought I would share a follow up to my previous post.  After getting the cell phone pic, I ran down the hall to get our DSLR so I could get a better quality photo.  The boys woke up, of course, but their little expressions here are just priceless to me.

 Sleepy Winston cups Abraham's face

 

My boys are so sweet and precious.

Five Months!

Our little peanuts are five months old already. Where is the time going? We are so proud of our little men and how much stuff they have learned in the last month.  They are becoming their own little people and it is so much fun watching them discovering the world.  I feel like we are finally getting into a routine.  Life feels more normal again, our new normal that is. 

Winston ready for bed

Abraham ready for bed

The boys are sleeping a lot better which I posted about earlier. They are beginning to both sleep through the night and are taking good naps. They took to their cribs right away and love their mobiles. We put them in their cribs and they kick their little legs with excitement waiting to hear their lullaby. They are still lightly swaddled but introducing them to their cribs has brought the ability to roll over.  Winston likes to sleep on his tummy now and Abraham does quite often as well.  I still worry about SIDS but we have the Angel Care monitors and that helps alleviate (some of) the anxiety. 

The boys enjoy sitting in their Bumbos, rolling all around and pushing up on their legs into a standing position.  They also like "dancing" to the happy little song that their play gym/play mat plays.  They are starting to giggle and they smile lots and lots.  They like taking walks with mama in their stroller.  I have refrained from researching a lot of baby development milestones because I don't want to worry unnecessarily.  I feel like they are right where they should be and their pediatrician has been happy.  I just feel unbelievably grateful that we have two healthy little boys. 

 They are either content to be next to each other or one of them is crying

because he keeps getting grabbed by his brother

 Papa and his boys. Abraham (left) and Winston

Winston shows off his standing skills.

In order to get dinner on the table, we employ the boys' help in the kitchen.

Self-portrait of mama and Abraham

Happy Winston (left) and Abraham

Brothers

The boys have been filling out and have the cutest little dimples on their hands and rolls on their legs.  They have not moved up in clothes but we did transition to size 3 diapers.  The size 2's were getting a little snug.  Their hair is growing back in and they have a fuzzy looking crew cut with long strands of their original hair. With gaining more hair, they are losing that little old man with a comb over look that they had going on.  Their eyes have stayed blue and have gotten lighter and more brilliant (yay for recessive genes!).   

Look at what we can do.

Look at how their little expressions flip flop.

And when they get tired they touch each other's faces.

The boys have discovered their papa and how much fun he is.  They smile and watch for him when he walks into the room.  They reach for his beard and like to feel the texture.  Eric is equally enamored and loves to get on the floor and talk to them.  We are still breastfeeding and the boys now recognize the blue nursing pillow which we affectionately call "The Magical Pillow That Feeds." The boys are taking rice cereal in their bottles and are still being supplemented with formula.  Abraham and Winston are starting to cuddle and put their little arms (somewhat) around our necks.  Basically we are just falling more and more in love with these boys. 

When we put the boys down for the night and when we are greeted by their little smiles in the morning, we often remark at how blessed we are.  We have been given an unbelievable gift in parenting these two little boys.  Everyday it just gets better.

The Boys Did It!

Last night Abraham and Winston went to bed at 8:45 pm and did not wake up until 6:15 am. Wow! When the alarm went off this morning, it was weird/sad/wonderful realizing that I had not been up with either one of them.

Still feel tired though. We are so used to waking up that we both kept...waking up. Now Eric and I need to train ourselves to go to bed before 10:30 or 11:00. :-)


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Sleep Training

In early June I had posted that we had reached a major milestone, sleeping through the night. Abraham had slept through the night multiple times in a row and Winston was beginning to sleep in longer runs, typically 4-5 hours. Then there was major regression in the following weeks and I was really disheartened. The boys were each waking up 2-3 times a night again. I was a zombie and on the verge of a break down. The human body can only be sleep deprived for so long without feeling ill effects. There is a reason that sleep deprivation is used as a method of torture. I was not being effective at work and felt so behind on stuff at home. 

But I digress, I became convinced that it was time to put the boys in their nursery and take back our bedroom.  Now, I am glad that we co-slept (the babies sleeping in bassinets close to our bed). I think in general it was good for the whole family. It allowed me to stabilize my milk supply, helped us learn about the boys' personalities and helped us bond with them. The issue is that babies are smart and they know how to get their needs and wants met. Out of exhaustion I was unwittingly rewarding undesirable behavior by bringing the babies into bed and falling asleep while nursing. Winston especially I think became aware that crying meant nursing and getting to be close to mom. Every time I put him back in the bassinet, he would cry and I came to realize he was the one calling the shots. I am learning that while I have a lot of Attachment Parenting (AP) tendencies that I also believe in healthy balance. I believe that child centered parenting can lead to a lot of problems and ultimately it is a parent's responsibility to direct a child, teach them how to develop positive sleep patterns and learn self-control. I was not envisioning a future where I was getting up in the middle of the night with two 9 month olds. Here a lot of true AP parent types will argue that there is a reason that a baby is continuing to wake up in the middle of the night at nine months of age e.g. baby needs the calories and needs to develop trust with their parents. I totally understand that and I think it comes down to each parent understanding their individual child. What may work for one child may not work for another. For our situation, the boys had both demonstrated they could sleep longer periods without needing to get calories in. Both boys have demonstrated good growth.  Furthermore, at this point I think our babies need good sleep for neurological development and physical growth. One reason the newborn stage is so hard is because the baby is getting used to life outside the womb and parents are getting used to them being on the outside as well. Becoming a parent is a huge life change; becoming a parent times two the first time around is intense. I was encouraged that life would get better around twelve weeks and it did. At that point I knew that the boys had the ability to sleep longer periods, now I needed to foster that ability. We were going forward and then we stalled.

I am not the hard core shut the door and come back in 8 hours cry it out (CIO) type but tough love was needed. Just moving the boys into their own room resulted in better sleep for all within days. They did not fuss at all the first time we put them down in there for the night. We would wait several minutes after hearing them cry on the monitor before going in to get them to see if they would fall back asleep on their own.  The feedings drastically dwindled from there.  The results?  Abraham started sleeping from about 8:30 pm to 5:00 am again consistently.  Then Winston slept through the night for the first time last weekend and has continued to do so all week.  He actually slept 12 hours straight last night.  We are completely amazed.  Here's the crazy thing and I know parents of multiples will relate to this...now our formerly good sleeper is the one waking up at night.  Just when you get used to a behavior coming from one baby they change it all around.  I think Abraham and Winston are in collusion in order to prevent us from ever getting decent sleep again.  Abraham has been waking up all week (sigh).  I have no problem with getting up one time a night for a feeding but he is waking up more than that.  We are trying to do our best of feeling out if he really needs that second feeding but at this point I think it's the comfort thing again. We know their cries now and what they mean so I think we may have to extend more tough love. 

I had mentioned that I was thinking about heading into solids since the boys were four months old.  Other than rice cereal in their bottles, we have not progressed in solid foods but just that little addition has seemed to make a big difference.  They stay satiated longer and I think that has really helped as well. 

The wonderful thing about these boys getting more sleep is that their dispositions are so much better during the day.  They wake up happy and are more inclined to take good, long naps.  Winston can now take a 2.5 hour nap in his crib.  Just weeks ago I could not have imagined that happening.  They are so much better about going down for a nap now without any fussing.

So to any new twin parents out there, I know how hard it is when it comes to getting hardly any sleep.  It really does get better, I promise.  I don't have any system or methodology to recommend.  I just started seeing patterns and behaviors and started feeling it out.  I have read enough different perspectives on sleep training to leave me second guessing myself but the here are the main two things: 1. Most pediatricians will recommend sleep training after 4 months which is exactly what we did because the boys were showing signs of being ready. 2. If you have twins you will have to do some form of CIO if you want any chance of getting sleep cycles synchronized before the first year.  While both boys have slept through the night, they have not done so at the same time.  When the day comes that Abraham and Winston sleep eight hours straight at the same time, meaning that Eric and I will be able to also, there will be great rejoicing and celebrating in our household.  And I hope to be able to post that update really soon =-)

Becoming Mobile

As previously mentioned, the boys had been rolling onto their sides but decided that was enough. In the last two weeks, Winston started rolling from back to tummy. At first he got mad because his face was on the floor but now he pushes himself up like a pro. He flips back and forth without a problem. Abraham is also quickly catching onto the trend. He still gets mad if his face is on the floor and can have an interesting way of dealing with it. He will just keep rolling until he is happy with his position. On Sunday evening, Eric was in the kitchen and heard grunting coming from Abraham. He looked to find Abraham had rolled off the playmat and had continued to roll all the way to where the carpet and linoleum meet, about seven feet. These kids crack us up. They change so quickly and definitely keep us on our toes.



Abraham practices pushing himself up. Just because he does it, does not mean he has to like it :-)

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Bibs

We use bibs in our house a lot lately. The boys are drooling a lot and chewing on anything they can. This is teething, right? They chew on their own hands, their brother's hands and mama and papa's hands. Poor little guys. I just feel bad that it goes on for so long. We have been using a rotation of acetaminophen and ibuprofen and it seems to help. Overall they have remained happy little guys. I think they are coming out of it for at least a little while. Their noses are clearing up and we have not had to give them as much pain reliever. Anyone have any experience with Baltic amber teething jewelry? I am kind of curious. All that to say that I love their little character bibs and how they can match their little personalities.

Winston's mommy loves him.

Abraham is handsome like daddy.

Winston is definitely one of the stars :-)

Abraham's smile can turn it into a party.

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Weekly Wrap Up

This week:
- I took Winston to his follow up appointment with the pediatric opthamologist. His outward turning eye has corrected on its own so we will not have to bring him back until he is two years old just to make sure there are no further problems. Crazy to picture him as a talking, walking toddler the next time we walk into that practice.
-In taking only Winston to the doc, I confirmed my suspicion that having one baby is immensely easier than having two. Seriously, bringing one baby, even the fussier of my two babies, was way easier than trying to take them both. Abraham stayed with Grammy during that time. It was the boys' first time being separated for any real length of time except the few hours in between their births and subsequent care.
- Eric was the sponsor at our godchild's baptism. Although I grew up in a paedobaptist home, the Lutheran ceremony was completely new to me. It was and is a true honor to be asked to take such a huge role in their child's life. It was great being able to meet Alexandra and spend time with the Sulprizios.
-I learned that a close friend from college lost her 4.5 year old son. He had Joubert syndrome with which he was diagnosed in the womb. My friend and her husband chose life and through little Titus experienced a love and sanctification they probably never knew was possible. I wept a lot at the news because as a new mother I was trying to imagine their loss. They have been such wonderful testimonies in the way they loved their child and now are resting in the knowledge that their little son is worshipping Jesus. Even though I have not seen my friend in years, her love for her family has had a very big impact on me.
-Abraham and Winston are getting more precious with each day. I do not take it for granted that we have been blessed with two healthy boys. They smile in such a way that tells us that they know we are their mama and papa and that they love us too. It's truly awesome in the literal definition of the word.


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Random Friday

- It has been an emotional week of highs and lows. I really need more sleep because that is where a lot of the emotion comes from.
- I have always had very realistic dreams. Last night I dreamt that I was pregnant again. As in the boys are 4.5 months old like they are in real life and I was having Irish triplets. It was so real because I could feel the flutters of a baby in my tummy. I woke up and it turned out that I had fallen asleep nursing Abraham in the side lying position and his little appendages were tapping me on the belly. I was pretty relieved because I think I have all that I can handle right now.
- I get all excited when the weekend comes because I have visions of catching up on sleep and being really productive around the house. Normally neither of those things happen.
- I am so grateful for like-minded friends that challenge and encourage me. It really is iron that sharpens iron. I am especially grateful that my husband is my best friend and that he is so faithful in listening to me and giving wise counsel.


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Not So Wordy Wednesday

My dear boys after getting their last meal before bed- drowsy, content and interlocking hands. It's these moments that I will always remember.

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Tahoe with the Boys

Over the weekend, Eric had planned on going fishing with a friend. I decided last minute to go to Nevada beach at Lake Tahoe with some friends. The boys were great and I got three hours to take in the beautiful scenery and enjoy visiting. Once the babies got fussy, I headed back down the mountain. As a So Cal native, I miss beaches with soft sand and water warm enough to swim. You have to be pretty hearty to swim in an alpine lake. One really has to take advantage of these beautiful summer days because winter arrives again much too soon.




The water is so blue and the mountains so beautiful. The cell phone camera does not do it justice.




Abraham chilling on the beach towel. Lots of sunscreen and an umbrella for the kiddos.




Sleepy Winston fighting a nap. Abraham slept for a little while in his carrier and Winston had a quiet time. Basically a quiet time with Winston means he will quietly sit in his carrier with a blanket covering him until he decides he wants out. Occasionally he will fall asleep in these situations such as church or a visit to somebody's house. The outside and noise was much too interesting for him at that point so he sat on my lap.

Hopefully we will be doing more beach days together as a family before summer slips away again.



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Four Month Well Child(ren) Appointment

I took the boys to the pediatrician for their 4 month check up.  Fortunately they like new environments and people so they are always happy when they go to the doctor's.  It was definitely a performance and they kept smiling and blowing raspberries for the nurse. 

Well, I was pleasantly wrong in guessing Winston's weight because he is no longer significantly bigger than Abraham.  There is only a 1/2 ounce and 1/2 inch difference between them now.  The pediatrician was very pleased at how much Abraham has caught up.  They are still on the skinnier side for the percentiles but he confirmed that they do have big heads- 96th percentile for Winston!  So W's big noggin may be the reason I thought he was still heavier.

Here are the stats:

Abraham

Birth-5 lbs. 15 ozs.; 18.75 inches

One Month- 7 lbs. 1 oz.; 21 inches

Two Months-10 lbs. 8 ozs.; 21.75 inches
Four Months- 13 lbs. 13.5 ozs.; 25 inches

Winston

Birth- 7 lbs. 9 ozs.; 20 inches

One Month- 7 lbs. 10 ozs.; 21 inches
Two Months-11 lbs. 13 ozs.; 23 inches
Four Months- 13 lbs. 13 ozs.; 25.5 inches

So as you can see, Abraham aka Little Man has caught up and the boys are now just about even.  I am so thankful that Abraham has caught up.  It was a little disconcerting for him to be so much smaller than Winston when he was born because they are identical twins.  So now with introducing some solids it will be interesting to see how fast they grow.

Cute, Cute

The boys are not using pacifiers anymore. Apparently sucking on a piece of silicon is not their cup of tea but their fingers...absolutely delicious! And they really like their thumbs. If they are awake and sucking their thumbs, we gently pull them out and distract them. That would be a hard habit to break. Here is Abraham:

Our friend Nicole, that watches our boys during the week, sent this to me while I was at work today. The little girl is Nicole's daughter and she helps her mama with the boys. They love being around the ladies:

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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.

Ten pictures would have them making ten different faces.

 Abraham

 

Winston

 Abraham looks surprised and Winston is amused.

Sweet Moments

This past weekend was super fun. Until I get a proper update posted, here is a sneak peek into the sweet moments I get to share as a MoM (that's Mother of Multiples for the non-acronym inclined). We went to a wedding on Saturday morning. After nursing the boys, I laid them on our bed so that I could get ready. This was my precious perspective:



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Learning Patience

This past weekend I had plans.  Eric was gone at Riverside Youth Conference and my mom was in town helping me. I had taken a furlough and was looking forward to a three day weekend.  I was going to finally tackle the daunting task of finishing the boys' birth announcements and all the thank-you cards that needed writing.  I was going to organize closets. I was going to get the blog updated. I was going to get the boys transitioned to their cribs.  And I finished none of those tasks because I got sick.  And my mom got a migraine. So there was no real productivity because I was in the fetal position for the good portion of one day with flu like symptoms.  I should have seen the writing on the wall.  I had been feeling more run down than usual heading into the week as opposed to, you know, the standard run down feeling that a new MoM of twins feels. I was going to...

I can make plans but ultimately I am not in charge.  I am learning patience.  Everyone wants to think they are patient and then they gain an experience that really does help them grow in patience.  I was going to do lots of things with my time but ultimately it was God who directed my steps.  It involved letting go of the things that seem important but really are not.  Instead I had to rely on God's grace to take care of the boys by myself.  The boys were great which I was so thankful for.  I ended up having such a great weekend because I got to focus on every coo and smile, study their little blue eyes and pepper them with kisses. And that is what is actually important.

'In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.' Proverbs 16:9

Three Months!

The boys are now three months old (a bit past that but I am trying to keep up with these updates).  Warning: this will most likely all be very boring unless you're familiar with my family. The last couple weeks A&W have really changed.  Their little personalities are really starting to come out and they are so much more aware of their surroundings.  The mornings have proven to be such sweet moments with them as they are so happy right after their morning feeding and want to "talk" up a storm.  I have truly fallen in love with these little boys.  They have really started to respond to Eric and me which makes the whole experience of parenting that much more fun. 

The biggest change this last month is that we have mastered tandem breast feeding.  The boys have outgrown the newborn phase and are less floppy.  With greater muscle coordination, they position so much easier and it finally just clicked.  The ability to tandem feed has really transformed our whole routine.  Whereas Eric and I took turns getting up with one of the babies when they woke up to do a feeding, we now are back into synchronizing their feeds because it takes so much less time.  I can get them positioned on their big nursing pillow and basically can zone out until they unlatch themselves and they go back to sleep without too much fuss.  I have to say thank you to the MoMs out there that encouraged me when I was so tired and felt like we were never going to get the hang of breastfeeding.  I think the best advice I was given was to not feel like I had to master breastfeeding, that pumped bottles would work just fine and just keep latching each baby on at least once a day.  I was also told to just nurse them individually and not worry about the tandem feeding.  We hung in there and I am so glad we did because it eventually all came together.  One big positive is that the boys really started to bond with me.  They have a clear preference to nursing (as opposed to expressed milk in bottles) and I really enjoy the quality time with them. 

The boys go down at night at 9 pm and sometimes earlier if everything is falling into place i.e. bath time, feedings, etc.  Bed time finally just clicked as well and they often will go down without so much as a peep.  If they do cry it is very brief, one minute or less. If one of them continues crying we do a diaper change and that typically solves the problem.  The boys have almost outgrown their 0-3 month clothes in terms of the length.  They are very comfortable in all of their 3 month clothing now.  They love to play on the floor and kick and squirm.  The biggest change we have also seen is that they are beginning to notice one another.  It is not so much real interaction as it is noticing how the other baby impacts their personal space.  You can see the little wheels turning in their head saying, "Whose hand is this?  Who is kicking me?  I hear crying so I am going to cry."  They tend to interlock hands now while they tandem nurse.  Sweetest.thing.ever.  The boys also love to sit on laps.  They do not like their Bumbos but will sit happily on a lap with their backs leaning against a torso.  They are both little flirts and will give a smile pretty easily to any lady that talks to them.  They both like to blow bubbles and are starting to drool quite a bit.  Their hair is really starting to thin out and I think it's in transition for a color change (blond like their mama?). 

Both boys are honestly really good. It's just having two babies that makes it hard. They love being around people and being stimulated so it's when they are home with boring 'ole mom and pops that they can get fussy.  And boy do they get fussy sometimes.  They now turn their mouth into an upside down 'U' and make a whiny cry in unison.  You just gotta laugh at it. 

For some of their individual stuff:

Abraham is quite the little talker.  He gets a squeal in there quite often too. Overall he is just very expressive. I call him my "fickle pickle." He goes from smile, to pout and whine and back to smile all within a minute.  He loves to make a fist with his right hand and just stares at his fist and arm while extended.  He also likes to pull on his clothes.  Abraham is a good sleeper.  He can consistently sleep about 6 hours before he needs to eat.  I think he would sleep longer but Winston can be a little loud when he wakes up during the night.  Abraham is an equal opportunity eater and will pound any bottle that comes his way. 

Winston likes to lay with his right hand on his head.  I call this his supermodel pose.  He has started to notice his reflection in the bathroom mirror when I give him a bath as well as the rounded mirror above his swing.  He makes faces and smiles at his reflection.  It's absolutely adorable; I just hope I don't have a narcissist on my hands.  He likes to stick his tongue out still.  He also is making up for being Abraham's punching bag by exerting some aggression of his own.  The kid loves the changing table (or maybe more the window with the blinds next to the table).  Weird, I know but it's like baby catnip for him.  He just lays there with a little grin and kicks and flails his appendages.  Winston is my little gourmand and wants his milk fresh off the tap.  He is a lot more picky than his brother that way. 

And behold the cuteness:

Happy boys ready for bed.  They are still in their co-sleepers in our room.

 Happy Abraham ready for bed.

Happy Winston ready for bed. 

 Getting so big. Abraham (left) and Winston.

 Not too impressed with tummy time. Abraham (left) and Winston.

 Padded baby butts.

 Winston (left) and Abraham.  I looove their expressions here.

 Abraham smiling at his brother.