First Steps

B has stood a few times on his own over the past week. Tonight, as I took my hands from his, he held his own...and then took his first independent step towards me! Oh, how I cried. My baby is growing up way too fast!

Parents' Weekend

After having the kids 10 months ago, hubby and I decided to go to San Antonio for a weekend together sort of as a celebration for my birthday and for Father's Day. We got there around 8 p.m. on Friday and came back yesterday. We stayed in the Omni Hotel, which is supposed to be a 4 - star hotel. There wasn't anything spectacular about the place. In fact, I preferred the Holiday Inn Express, which is a 3 - star hotel. The Omni had "free" internet access, but it was only available in the lobby. That's not very convenient for people who are trying to get directions before they go somewhere. The internet connections in the rooms are $9.95 unless you are a part of their select guest program. They don't offer free breakfasts and the rooms are mediocre. We ended up with two double beds even thought I requested one king. Awesome.

Aside from the hotel, we made our way to the Alamo and the Riverwalk on Sabbath. We had lunch at Casa Rio, which was good. That night, we ate at Jacala's. A lot of people rave about their puffy tacos, which weren't too bad - on the greasy side, though. Their cheese enchiladas were terrible. The chicken enchiladas had no seasoning. We found Jim's Restaurants, which we really liked. On Sunday, we went to Sea World since I got a free pass for educators. Our first adventure was at the Shamu Stadium where we ended up in the front row or the "Soak Zone". That sign on the seat was no lie. We rode the boat ride that went into the water (I forgot its name), we watched the Azul show with the beluga whales and dolphins. Before we left, we fed the dolphins and I managed to touch under their mouth. Their skin has the texture of mushrooms...soft and velvety. I loved every minute of it!

The kids stayed with my parents for part of the time and then my cousin, A, (we call her aunt for the kids, though.) It was definitely nice to have some time to talk to each other and sleep, but we sure missed the kids while we were gone. Everytime I saw a baby about their age, I missed them even more.

10 Months!

B and K are 10 months old today.

B is wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers. He is "walking" using the sides of tables and the walking toy we bought. He looks like he's been doing it forever. His favorite foods are sweet potatoes, squash, roasted turkey dinner out of the Plum packets, So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt in vanilla, and apples. He prefers savory foods over sweet ones...like his Daddy. His favorite toys are the pots and pans that we got from Ikea, the toy table that my parents bought, and the little slide that the animals roll down. He can put the animals at the top and make them roll down on his own. He can undo his Daddy's watch and grab things from nearby tables or shelves. He lets me know when he wants to go to sleep because he'll go over to the swing and try to crawl in it.

K is wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers. She is standing by holding onto whatever is near her. She tries to walk with the talking toy, but her stance is a little wide and her legs are shaky. Her favorite toys are the spatula from the Ikea dishes set, plastic rings, shapes and blocks, and the toy table that my parents bought Her favorite foods are banana, apple,  pear, sweet potato, roasted turkey dinner out of the Plum packets, and So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt in vanilla. She will crawl over and climb up the chair to get us to hold her. We can tell when she's sleepy because she'll put her thumb in her mouth or her head on our shoulder.

They both play well together. They laugh at each other and crawl towards one another. Yesterday, B was pulling K's hair and of course, she was crying. I told him no and he let go. He did it again so I told him no. He didn't let go, so I had to undo his fingers from her hair. I said no again and he started crying. That was our first discipline encounter. I've noticed that B has temper tantrums. He arches his back and cries when we take a toy away from him or something that he's doing. K doesn't do that. She is much more laid back.

On another note, my aunt B passed away on Tuesday so we will be remembering her through a memorial on Tuesday, June 21st.

Medical Issues!

B has had some trouble sleeping the past couple of nights. He woke up coughing several times, so we did a few breathing treatments. I got my allergy shots today so I set up an appointment for him, too, since we're pretty sure his coughing is because of allergies. Yesterday, I noticed that he had some bumps on his toes. Originally, I thought he got bitten by ants or something because my parents sometimes take the kids outside. Today, I noticed bumps with blisters on the palm of both hands and more bumps with blisters on his feet. Again, I thought ant bites. I was scrolling through facebook and I saw that one of my friends' sons has hand, foot, and mouth disease that causes blisters on hands, feet, and mouth. I looked in B's mouth and sure enough...blisters and white patches. He's miserable, poor thing. I wish there was something that I could do for him, but unfortunately, it's caused by a virus and there isn't anything they can do other than to keep him comfortable. That is horrible to hear when you're the mother and your child is crying or screaming his head off. We're putting their toys in a vinegar bath tomorrow to clean them off and try to protect K.

I went to work on Monday to plan more for next year. Before I got there, I received news that my great aunt B was in the hospital. I chalked it up to being something minor until I got to my mom's house with the kids. My mom said that the night before, she passed out around midnight. My cousin C performed CPR on her for about 7 minutes until the ambulance got there and did it again for another 17 or so minutes. Her brain was deprived of oxygen for almost 30 minutes! She was sedated and intubated when she got to the hospital, and shortly after, they put her on a feeding tube. The brain scan showed that her frontal and temporal lobes were not functioning. This means that if she were to wake up, she wouldn't be able to talk again. Testing also revealed that she can only feel pain. The temporal lobe is linked mainly to memory and the frontal lobe is linked to speech, memory, problem-solving, language, judgement, and motor function, among others. My cousins and uncle are having to make a difficult decision this week so I pray that they be at peace with whatever decision they come to.

She's Catching Up

K2 stood up on Thursday with the help of her toy!

I have purchased a few things for their birthday party. Since we're going with a garden theme, I got some bamboo spoons and forks. We got some napkins, backpacks for them, toys, candy molds, a cake mold, and some butterflies for her hair. I'm so excited, but I can't believe they're growing up so fast!

She's Crawling

I saw K2 crawl on her knees today. She's moving pretty quick since she didn't start scooting until earlier this month. It took B several months to get the hang of crawling. He sure wanted to, though.

Exhausted!

It is official: K1 and I are  exhausted. My parents were letting the kids spend the night once a week while we got some sleep. With my Dad having a heart attack, we haven't had that luxury. It's been tough. They haven't been going to bed until about 10:30 or 11:00 at night. Sometimes, I feel like they stay awake because they've been away from us all day and they want to spend time with us.

I am worn out too. I take the kids to my parents' house in the mornings and then drive down the street to work. One or two days a week, I take them to the district daycare. I usually take my lunch bag, my bag with all of my work in it, my purse, their diaper bag, and their lunch bag with solid foods in it, in addition to them. That's a lot of stuff! I get off work, I pick them up and get home around 5:45 or later if I'm coming from daycare. I come in the door and sit them down (but of course, they cry). A lot of times, I have to take them in the bathroom with me so that I can change and they can see me. Then, I take them into the kitchen, strip them down to their diaper, put them in the highchair and feed them solid foods together (I alternate one spoon for one and another spoon for the other one. Lately, I've started giving them peas or Cheerios to munch on while they're waiting on me to feed the other one. It seems to work. It usually takes a half an hour to feed them. Then, K1 will get home, we'll change diapers and then by 7:00, we can start making dinner. We'll eat around 7:30 or 8:00 and then we play with the kids for a little while if we're lucky. We try to have them in bed at least around 9:00 but it doesn't always go as planned.

There are plenty of times that we don't get to bed until midnight because we're washing bottles, baby clothes, cleaning, or whatever else, and then we wake up around 4 or 5 a.m. because somebody is crying. The day starts all over again. These are the times that I wish I could stay at home with them because I don't think it's fair that they're doing without both parents during the day.

This week will be busy. Tomorrow, we have awards night for school and it starts at 7 and ends at 8 so I'll be home late. Wednesday, I have a late faculty meeting to make up for the bad weather we had earlier in the year. Thursday, I need to get my allergy shots. We do have a three day weekend, though, so that helps.

We have a new milestone for K2...she stood up today! Well, she pulled up to standing anyway. I didn't see it, but my mom told me that she did. If I can't stay at home with them and be there for all of their milestones, at least my mom can be there. At their 9 month check up, B weighed in at 16 lbs. 3 oz. and is 26.75 inches long. K2 weighed 16 lbs. 13 oz. and is 26.50 inches long. She's catching him on height!

Birthday Party Idea!

A friend of mine just had her daughter's first birthday party this weekend so I asked for her thoughts on a birthday party for the twins. I wanted something with butterflies for K2 but I wasn't sure how to do it for B. She suggested a garden party with decorations for butterflies and caterpillars. What a fantastic idea! K1 loves plants, gardening, and bugs, and his favorite desert is dirt (the edible kind, not the real stuff) so it seemed like it was meant to be. I'm starting my planning now, which will give me a few months to look for sales on decorations so that I'm not doing everything at the last second.

It's hard to believe that they're almost one! I am so excited.

9 Months!

Oh, how time has flown by. The kids will be 9 months old tomorrow!

B is standing up with the help of something sturdy. He'll even side-step to get from one place to another. I won't be surprised if he starts walking before he is a year old. I'll get in shape this summer, I'm sure. He's crawling on his knees now, too. He'll crawl over to K and I, and then hold out his arms or try to pull himself up onto our laps. He is a very determined little boy and he is quite the inquisitive one. He's funny, too. He'll grunt and wave his arms up and down in what seems to be a moment of frustration. He loves to get into anything he's not supposed to. He'll grab things from our side tables so I've had to clean those off to make sure nothing disappears or becomes soggy from slobber. He's in size 3 diapers (probably could still fit into size 2 though) and 6-9 month clothes with some 0-3 and 3-6 month stuff still fitting.  He loves to eat apples (especially with cinnamon, but he has had a rash on his face the last few tmes we gave him cinnamon), sweet potatoes, squash, blueberries, coconut milk yogurt (vanilla), pears, cantaloupe, and turkey apple cranberry mixture. He doesn't seem to like chicken, peas, or green beans that are homemade. He'll eat them from the jar, though.

K2 has reached her own milestones. She is scooting along the floor using the inside of her knees and feet. She loves to untie shoes. She has two teeth coming in on the bottom gums (#24 and 25 for my own records). She has gotten up on her knees a couple of times and she's tried to pull herself up to standing, but hasn't quite figured out how to do it yet. She is smiling a lot more, too. I've waited so long for that. She was very unhappy for a while, so it's a very nice change. She seems to need Mommy quite a bit more than B. She is very much a Momma's girl and occasionally needs to be in our bed in order to go back to sleep. K1 argued with me on this at first because he was worried about the safety hazards. We talked it over and now when he has trouble getting them to go back to sleep in their room, he'll put them in bed with us. My Grams kept them one Friday after not keeping them for a while and K2 cried and cried when I walked out the door. I felt awful. :( K2 is pulling herself up to the sitting position. Sometimes, she pulls her own hair...or her brother's hair...or anyone around her for that matter. She loves pulling on Daddy's leg hair. :) She is wearing size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothes.

Mother's Day has come and gone. K1 let me sleep in. Although, I didn't know that was his plan until after I got up and dressed at 8:30. I fed the kids while he made breakfast. He couldn't find a good card, so he wrote me a note. Around 11:30, my Mom called to let me know that my Dad was in the hospital. Apparently, he had a heart attack the night before. We went up to the hospital; he was in ICU so he couldn't see the babies. He was in a good mood - still joking like normal. My stomach started hurting at the hospital so I went to bed early. A few days later, Dad got out of the hospital. He can't work for about two weeks, nor can he lift anything over 10 lbs. - including the kids. He is doing better, though. God is great!

This past week, I have been able to really reflect on life. K1 is a wonderful husband and a great dad. We usually think on the same wavelength. A lot of times, he has stuff done before I even mention it. We watch the same nerdy science educational shows and we usually have discussions about them. I love how he questions scientists' theories and doesn't just accept what they have to say. He seeks evidence or sensible explanations and then makes his own judgements. I knew that I loved him when we were sitting in my apartment and we were talking about snakes (yep...snakes). He knew something about them that I was sure that quite a few people didn't. At that moment, I knew that I would have someone who would challenge me intellectually and who would stand for what he believed in. I also knew that I found someone who had great deductive reasoning skills. I know, I know...I'm a nerd. :)

Since the kids were born, I admit that I've been a little (fine, a lot) uptight and controlling about how the kids are raised. It's hard not to be when you're an educator. I had this idea that I had to be the perfect mom, wife, and teacher. Well, guess what? They don't exist. It's easy for people to tell you that blah, blah, blah parenting style is best and why. That's great. I'm not getting caught up into what my pareting type is. Fine, my parenting type shall be called "We'll do whatever it takes to ensure that our children are loving, respectful, honest, sympathetic, hardworking, and responsible citizens." (It's a little long, but it gets my point across.) We will do whatever works for us. Parenting is a learning process. If there were a right parenting style, we would have had a manual that came along with the kids when they were born. Every family is different with different schedules, ideas, parent personalities, and so on. I expect to make plenty of mistakes and I also expect to learn from them. I do hear some good ideas from other moms and I try to incorporate those ideas into my parenting. If they don't work, I throw them out and try something else until we find something that works. I'm a borrower from different methods.

*Kayla, darling, you are in your swing and you are spitting. You have been doing it all night and it cracks me up. I wonder what you are thinking when you do this. Also, please tell those two teeth of yours to come on through! Oh, and it's 10:37 at night. You need to go to sleep! I love you little butterfly! :) Love, Mommy

*Bryce, little man, you fell asleep in my arms tonight after your bottle. Daddy put you in your crib and you did not wake up once on the way to your room. You are such a sound sleeper, just like Mommy. I love you snooger boogers. :) Love, Mommy

Reflections on Marriage and Relationships

Marriage - I find it funny when women are embarassed to admit that they have issues in their marriage because they don't want to be judged. In general, women are defined by their families, children, and marriages. Men are defined by their jobs, money, and success. If a woman has marital problems, it looks like she has failed. Most normal couples experience ups and downs. It's not about the number of arguments or what they're about; it's about how you recover from them. (In the book that I am currently reading, the author stated that children not only need to see their parents argue, but they need to see them reconcile so that they may learn how to do the same.) I will admit that my husband and I have had our own, especially since the kids were born. Since their birth, I have changed as a person and as a wife. Things that were once low on my list of priorities have become more important and vice versa. Church, family, relationships, and health have become increasingly important to me because I want them to be important to my children. My husband and I don't always agree on the level of importance among these issues and it's tough. Do these arguments mean that I failed? I don't think so. If anything, I think it makes us more successful as a couple because we realign ourselves to the same page.

Relationships - I knew that my husband wasn't a Christian when I married him. What was important to me at the time was how he treated me and others around him, not the label or whether he went to church every week. As I reflect back on my decision, I know that I made the right one. Not to say that it isn't still challenging for me, but it was the right decision for me. My husband treats me and our children better than any of the church-going Christian guys that I dated in college. Why is that? I still haven't been able to answer that question. I will admit that I don't go to church on a regular basis but that doesn't make me any less of a Christian than someone who attends regularly. On that note, I generally prefer the atmosphere of a church because of the networking and support that it provides. I love the activities for kids and I love having like-minded people around. It definitely makes the journey with God a lot easier.
Good night :)

FINALLY!

My baby girl is finally crawling...well, scooting anyway. She's getting quicker everyday. I wonder if I've hindered her in some way because I don't like to leave her crying and frustrated, so I pick her up. Lately, I have been letting her get frustrated so that she has to move. It seems to be working because she'll scoot over to me and try to pull up (this is the next thing on her agenda I think) or she'll scoot over to her Daddy and untie his shoe. Funny girl.

I got a message from my mom on Friday while I was at work saying that she felt teeth on K. When I went to pick her up, sure enough, there was a tooth trying to come in! That would explain her crankiness. Here it is on Sunday morning and the tooth still hasn't come through. Waiting...

Yesterday was the kids' first trip to church. I wanted them to go to Sabbath School but we were running late so we just went straight to church. We asked where the family room was and a lady at the desk pointed in a direction. We went on a hunt but we couldn't find it so I went back to the desk and asked for someone to show me because we were new and didn't know our way around. After a few minutes, someone took us to our destination. (I've been to several churches and this one was the least friendly of them all. I have always been greeted at the door and then engaged in small chit chat with either the person at the door or someone else inside. This church was not near as welcoming and that's a shame because our friends go there.) Anyway, back to the family room. Although it was a family room, I was shocked at the kids running around the room and not minding their parents. Four of them went into the nursery area, opened and slammed the door shut a few times, and screamed. On top of that, the mom just sat there for several minutes. It took several other parents looking at her until she finally went over there. It worked for a couple of minutes and the kids were back at it. Children need to be given opportunities to inquire about things, but they need to be taught the appropriate time and place. I have missed being out of church so I was glad to be back. It was quite comforting to me. This experience was a little challening and I'm sure that my husband was not impressed. That will just make it even tougher to get him to go with me again.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

It's funny how closely K2 follows B in development. She's almost going in perfect order. She's starting to climb on my husband just like B did.

B started crawling on his knees yesterday! He moves a little like a chameleon (the stop and start motion). He'll crawl to us and use anything around him to help him stand up. We always know when he wants attention. K2 still cries when she wants attention but she's starting to use her arms to scoot herself forward. The kids still can't talk, but I can almost always know what they're trying to communicate just by their actions and their facial expressions. I guess this is a good example of how actions speak louder than words. :)

Our schedule has been tough for the past month. K2 and B haven't slept as well as normal. They've been taking longer to go to sleep at night. Sometimes they won't go to sleep until midnight and then they'll wake up at 5 or 6 a.m. Needless to say, the parents are getting very little sleep and I am drained.

We still have no teeth. :( Apparently my mom didn't get her first tooth until 11 months so apparently, it's genetic. I'm not sure when I got my first tooth since my mom didn't fill out my baby books (part of the reason I'm putting as much info in here as possible.)

I am so thankful for such wonderful people in my life. There are some special women at work who have children in the same class as B and K. They have probably been the most supportive and helpful people since the kids were born. Nowadays, it seems like everyone gossips, and it's nice to have people who hold themselves to a higher standard and do what is right, even when everyone else is doing the opposite.

Random observations: I am usually a quiet observer; I learn a lot that way. It doesn't take a long conversation with someone to learn about who they are and what they stand for. Watching how they treat others and how they carry themselves paints a bigger picture about their character. We often fail to realize that our actions often teach others more than our words do.

Life and 8 Months!

The kids turned 8 months on Sunday. This has been the most eventful and fun month so far since they were born. B has been pulling himself up on stuff. He'll crawl (scoot around on his belly) on the floor and get to wherever he's headed and then stand up. It's cute to see him grab my leg or the recliner and then stand. He'll crawl right over to us, hold his arms out, and climb up. The worst part is that he falls and gets hurt. It just breaks my heart. What I've noticed most is that he really pays attention to our expressions. If we look worried and scared, he cries more. If we just say, "uh oh" or "it's okay", he calms down and smiles. He's also been sticking out his tongue and giving us raspberries on our arms or legs (started on March 29th). He has learned to mimic our behaviors. It just goes to show how much kids pay attention to us, even when we're not looking.

They had their 6 month vaccines on March 25th (they waited so long because B has been sick on and off.) The doc has concluded that B probably suffers from allergies.

• B and K are in size 3 diapers (B can still fit into 2's though
• B is still wearing some 0-3 outfits! K is wearing 3-6 and 6-9 month outfits.
• Both are eating solids well - the routine usually consists of an every 3 hour routine of an 8 oz bottle in the morning, fruit with oatmeal, bottle, veggies, bottle, veggies, and another bottle before bed. They usually get water or juice with their solid foods.
• Mom keeps them three days a week, daycare one day, and Grams or Kevin keeps them on Fridays. (Boy, I am so thankful for family!!!! This would be so much harder if I didn't have them.)
• Neither use a pacifier anymore.
• B stands up in his crib now and grabs at the turtle nightlight on his dresser.
• K giggles at everything now, especially animals. She shakes her head like Stevie Wonder, too. Haha. Oh, and she can put her finger in her nose! Silly girl. Still isn't crawling yet. She can do it if she wants to, but she's not usually quite as motivated as B.

This past Sabbath, we went to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. (We were originally planning for the zoo but it was packed so, we went to the Botanical Gardens instead since it was right across the street.) We spent time together and got some really cute pictures. We dressed the kids up, put sunblock on their faces, arms, and legs, and put them in hats. They stayed in the stroller for most of the time. B slept for about half the trip. K really enjoys being out in the sun.

Since we were near TCU, we had lunch at Panera. Neither of us have eaten there and we were NOT impressed. Jason's Deli has much better quality food for the same price. The atmosphere is nice, but it's not worth the cost.

PERSONAL RANT:

I cannot even express how much I have changed since the kids were born. I have been given a completely new outlook on life. My family has become the most important thing to me. I have reached the point of watching very little television and being okay with that. I would prefer to spend time with my children and husband. There are days that we don't even turn on the television. I am so thankful for a husband that doesn't need to sit in front of the tv and watch sports for hours on end. He is a compassionate person; one who has a love for nature - plants and animals. He comes home after working a long day and plays the role of Daddy. No complaints - ever. Many times, I don't even have to ask him to do something because he's already done it. He knows me and knows what I would want to be done.

On the topic of my views of life changing, I have been thinking of how I want the kids to be raised. I've mostly been making homemade baby food because I want them to grow up eating "real" food and not jarred. I feel biology taking over and I have this sense of needing to be a wife and mother. When there are nights that I can't cook or I spend as much time with the kids as I want to, I feel like I've let my family down. Sometimes, I feel like work keeps me from performing my biological duties of being a wife and mom. When I bring work home or stay late, I have less time to do the things God has asked me to do - take care of my family. I love teaching. I just think I am mentally and emotionally drained.

I have been thinking about my spirituality, also. I have been out of church for a while now, and I need to get back...soon. I wasn't raised to be a specific religion. I was just raised to be a good person, have good manners, and treat others with respect. When I got to college, I became Seventh-day Adventist. After I graduated, I started working for a Cumberland Presbyterian Church in town and I joined. I met my husband while I was working there (he was not a member, I just met him somewhere else) and eventually, I moved on to teaching and left the church. I have found my true friends. Out of the two churches I attended, the people I knew from the SDA church and college still contact me on a pretty regular basis. I very rarely hear from the people of the church in which I worked and had worship for almost three years straight. My true church home is an SDA one. I want the kids to be raised in the church with strong values and beliefs. This is where I think we need to be. We are having many family discussions so this is still a work in progress. :)

Charla

7 Months Already?

I can't believe that they are already 7 months old! It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant sitting in the living room with my feet in a bucket of cold water because I itched so bad. Hydrocortisone cream, benadryl, lotion...nothing worked and I was ready to meet my babies. A lot has really happened in the most recent weeks so I'm writing as I remember them or as I read them off of a chicken scratch covered sticky note. This is very scatterbrained and well, that's how things have been lately.

I was on Spring Break last week. I took the ESL Supplemental test on the first day of spring break and passed. I really enjoyed spending time with the kids. I was able to get them on a good feeding schedule. When they're at my mom's house, they seem to get a little off schedule so I wanted to make a solid schedule while I had the time off. The past month, we have been alternating feedings. They receive a full 7-ish ounce bottle in the morning, then solids, etc. throughout the day. We usually end up with about 2 or 3 solid feedings and 4-5 bottles during a 24 hour period. They're last meal of the day is usually a bottle, and then they fall asleep between 8:30 and 9:30. Bryce can eat a lot of solid food. He can usually eat 4-5 ounces at one sitting. Per the doctor's suggestion, we've been giving them 2 ounces - half water and half apple juice along with their meals to help with constipation.

My friend from middle school, Holly, came over on March 16th so the kids and I took her to On the Border for an early birthday gift. Bryce and Kayla sat in the highchair and at at the big table for the first time. They did really well. Kayla sat up for the first time for longer than a few seconds on March 14th. Bryce sat up on March 18th during his pictures. I think Bryce likes Oprah. He was talking to the television (more than normal) when I had her on one day last week. On March 19th, Bryce and Kayla went to Sprouts for the first time, Blockbuster, and the doctor to have Bryce's ears checked (for the third time, he had another ear infection.) He's been coughing and wheezing, too, so he was given steroids and antibiotics. We had a birthday party for my Aunt Sheri and my Grams on Sunday, March 20th. When we got home, Bryce crawled to the Bumbo seat and pulled himself to standing! I had tears in my eyes! (Picture below) Kayla has been grabbing on her feet and putting her big toe in her mouth. Silly girl. Bryce keeps mouthing syllables. He's getting closer to "mama". We're trying to do sign language but it's hard to be consistent. I have to work on that. I want them to learn so we can communicate.

So far, they have eaten:

• apples
• bananas
• squash
• sweet potatoes
• carrots
• pears
• green beans
• peas

Kayla seems to prefer the fruits. Bryce seems to like everything except for the green stuff. He gagged today at daycare. He usually does a little better when we mix it with squash or sweet potato. They both seem to really like squash and sweet potato.

They're still in size 2 diapers, 3-6 month clothes, and moving into 6-9 month clothes on some things.

We had 7 month pictures taken at Portrait Innovations on March 18th. Here are a few of the pics:

I love being a mom!

They Grow So Fast

That statement has never been more true. I can hardly keep up with all of their developments! Bryce and Kayla are sitting up for a few seconds at a time. When they start to fall backwards, you can tell they are trying to use their tummy and back muscles to stay up. They stand well with support, too. They both hold up their arms to get us to pick them up. Both are eating solids. So far, they have tried sweet potatoes, squash (both of which they love), peas, green beans, carrots, apples, and pears. They don't seem too fond of the green beans or peas yet. They are still in size 2 diapers and wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes (some 6 month). Bryce is still so skinny that a lot of his pants fall off when he crawls. Ha!

Bryce is now crawling...it's an army crawl, but it's a crawl. He follows us around the room and he almost made it to the kitchen a couple of days ago. The baby gates went up last night. I picked them up at my mom's house after work today and he crawled to me. I love that. We had some books and PS games in the bottom shelves of our entertainment center and he has been pulling them out. So we moved those up and put their toys on the bottom shelves instead. He is extremely strong. He reaches for the Play Station and the stereo all the time and moves it. We find the volume knob on the stereo turned up. Silly boy.

     
He usually eats pretty well. We try to feed them formula for their first and last meals of the day and then alternate throughout the rest of the day. He started coughing more yesterday morning so we started the nebulizer treatments again. He now grabs our faces, pulls us towards him, and kisses us (or opens his mouth anyway). *Bryce, you silly boy. As I am typing this, you put your hand behind your head like you were modeling. You are an adorable little man. :)

Kayla found her feet on February 28th. She hasn't put them in her mouth yet but she's getting closer. The past week, she has been so much happier. She has been laughing and smiling a lot more than she used to. She doesn't eat as well as Bryce because she's usually so hungry by the time we try to feed her that she won't eat or she's too interested in her hands, thumbs, and spoon. She takes more patience. She rolls over from her tummy to her back pretty well. She loves the bendy ball and a set of keys. She loves to sit up in my recliner and she still loves the swing. When she's fussy, she prefers sitting in her highchair to watch me in the kitchen. She loves watching me use the food processer and mixer, all while I make funny faces to make her laugh. Sometimes, that seems to be all she needs. Certain faces that we make at her can really make her give us a belly laugh. Especially when Daddy plays hide and seek with her (like now) or Mommy holds her up in the air and gives her raspberries on her tummy! *Kayla, missy girl, you are chewing on the stuffed gecko that we got you from Ikea and trying to help me type. Yes, you've hit the space bar quite a lot. My, you sure do know how to multitask!  Thanks for helping Mommy. :)

Our life is hectic but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being a mom, a wife, and a teacher. Although, all three have their moments. :)

6th Month Check-up

The kids went in for their six month check up on Monday. Bryce had been coughing that morning and I figured he was getting bronchitis again. The doctor said he had RSV, which is a highly contagious lower respiratory viral infection. We have to give him breathing treatments using the nebulizer every four hours. He doesn't particularly care for them when he's awake so we've been trying to do it when he's asleep. He's been pretty needly lately and sleeps most of the day...definitely not normal for him. Kayla looks like she's getting it too. She's not as bad as he is but we're keeping an eye on her.

As far as growth is concerned:

Bryce: 25" long, 14 lbs. 0.5 oz., head is 16.75"
Kayla: 24" long, 14 lbs. 7.0 oz., head is 16.50"

Foods:

They both like sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash. We usually buy a couple of jars of a new vegetable to see if they like it and to check on allergic reactions before we make our own. So far, I've made sweet potatoes and squash. I think I need more containers! Bryce can eat between four and five ounces of solid food at one feeding. Kayla doesn't eat the solid foods as well. She probably eats between a third and a half of a container. She prefers the bottle. I bought sippy cups with handles at the store the other day. They are the Tommee Tippee brand so the nipple can be traded out with the TT bottle nipples that we already have. I put the nipple on the end of it so they can learn to just hold the cups first. Kayla tries to hold the cup but she doesn't hold it up high enough to really get much out of it. We haven't tried with Bryce as much since he's been sick.

That's all for now. Good night.

Happy 1/2 Birthday!

Bryce and Kayla are 6 months old today! We made it halfway through the first year with twins. Hooray! We have one more day before a three day weekend. Kevin and I are talking about going to the Museum for Engineers' week. Hopefully we can find some time to do that.

Bryce:

• In size 2 diapers
• Wears mostly 3-6 month clothes, but some 0-3 month and newborn (the 3-6 month pants are really big. 0-3 month fits better around the waist but they're too short. We can't find a happy medium.)
• While on his tummy, he reached up and pushed the swing yesterday.
• He's rolling around all over the living room floor. He's grabbed the sheets on the couch and our pant legs and tugged on them.
• He grabbed some ads out of the recycle box under our side table and started ripping it up.
• Reached up to touch the light and the toys on the mobile above the swing yesterday.
• Loves the jumperoo and grabs the toys to chew on them. He moves the roller toy around on the jumperoo.
• Said "da-da" several times and everyone swears that he says "hi".
• Grabs rattles and keys with his hands and brings them to his mouth.
• Has a little bit of a tooth showing on his lower left gum!
• Sleeps through the night. Goes to bed around 9 or 9:30 and wakes up at 6:00.
• Loves sweet potatoes and rice cereal; hates carrots.
• Loves going on walks - sat in the stroller without the car seats on Feb. 13
• Loves baths - kicking and splashing the water!
• Recognizes Mommy, Daddy, Grandma Joni, and Grandpa Brian

Kayla:

• In size 2 diapers
• Wears mostly 3-6 month clothes, but some 0-3 month and a couple of newborn outfits. 
• Has rolled over from her tummy to her back. We think she can do more, but she doesn't care to.
• Plays with the toys in the jumperoo - she loves it!
• Smiles and laughs when she sees one of the cats or dogs.
• Yells and babbles - we haven't heard her try to form words, though.
• Grabs rattles and keys with his hands and brings them to her mouth.
• Drooling a lot and "chewing" on toys but we don't see any teeth coming in.
• Sleeps through the night. Goes to bed around 9 or 9:30 and wakes up at 6:00.
• Loves sweet potatoes and carrots but could care less about rice cereal.
• Loves going on walks - sat in the stroller without car seats on Feb. 13
• Doesn't scream when she gets baths anymore. She kicks her legs in the water now.
• Recognizes Mommy, Daddy, Grandma Joni, and Grandpa Brian - glared at Mommy (boy, if looks could kill...) yesterday when dropped off at daycare.

That concludes our day for now. I'll probably edit this later and write letters to Bryce and Kayla for their half birthday. (Kayla, my dear, you are squirming in my arms and yelling at me as I write this. I think you are tired. Bryce, you are asleep in Daddy's arms.)

The End of Silence

After four days stranded at home because of snow and ice, we went back to work today. As we were getting the kids in their car seats, Bryce said "da-da". Kevin and I turned towards each other to see if the other one had heard the same thing. Kevin asked, "Did he...?" Yep...he sure did. I am almost positive that he has said "hi" and "i love" in the past but maybe I'm just getting too far ahead of myself. I was a little bummed that his first "word" wasn't "ma-ma" but "da-da" will work too.

Kayla has been sick for the past three days. She has had a runny nose, a cough, and extremely fussy. We gave her some Tylenol for the first time tonight to see if that would help with her irritability. On the other hand, she is starting to play more with her toys.

Bryce still hasn't learned to crawl, but he does roll around all over the floor. He has discovered a new toy - the "Chime Garden" that has five flowers and they each play either a different tune or a part of a whole song. He was rolling it around on the floor and pressing on the flowers to get them to play. So cute!

Babies' First Snow Day

As the title implies, we had our first snow day together as a family. I woke up to Kevin poking me in the arm with his finger saying, "Burleson is closed, so do you want to sleep more or what?" Hmmm...hard decision.

The kids stayed with my parents last night because Kevin and I needed a break. We had a tough week and little sleep. I have spent the last two Saturdays at a professional development workshop to get my hours for work. Waking up to a snow dune on our front porch was a blessing. Kevin wanted to drive around to see how bad the roads were and how good the Pilot drove on them. So we drove around for about ten minutes in the development, came back inside, and slept until noon. The neighbor behind us called Kevin to let him know that the dogs were in his backyard so Kevin spent a while helping the neighbor put the fence back up. We decided that it was a good time to pick the kids up from my parents' house since the roads were probably melted a little since the sun was out. We made it there and back without any problems.

We all spent the rest of the evening together. Bryce is still trying hard to crawl. He is pushing himself forward so much that he flips himself over. He really gets frustrated.

We have been feeding them both rice cereal and they do well as long as they aren't too hungry. Bryce usually does better than Kayla. We started feeding them sweet potatoes on Friday, January 28th. They both loved it. My mom tried feeding them cereal and sweet potatoes yesterday and today. Bryce did well on both. Kayla, on the other hand, would not let my mom feed her cereal. She did, however, take the sweet potatoes just fine. She lunged forward and grunted as she took a bite. Funny girl. We fed Bryce carrots tonight. He took a few bites and then wrinkled up his face with a look of disgust the next few times I tried to feed him carrots. He didn't wrinkle up his face, though, when I switched back to cereal. Kayla was too mad to eat anything except for her bottle.

Bryce is starting to pull himself up to a sitting position. He has been trying for about a week now but tonight, he did it really well in my lap. He grabbed my pen tonight and held it for a while.

They are:

• in size two diapers
• in size 0-3 month clothes, one or two newborn outfits, and starting to fit into 3-6 month clothes
• over 13 lbs. now (exact measurement not known since they were weighed with diapers and clothes)

Babies' First Wedding

We went to our first wedding as a family today. We were able to sit through all of about 20 minutes of it before Kayla started fussing. I didn't want to ruin Ashley's wedding, so we went out into the lobby to feed her. They told us that a nursery was available so we went in there to feed them. By the time we finished feeding the babies, the wedding was over. I had a chance to walk up to the doors to see them kiss and start walking back down the isle. We got in the car to head to the reception venue and Bryce screamed the whole way there so we decided to just go home. I was exhausted anyway because I had a professional development class at 8:30 in the morning and I hadn't had a break all day.

Our friends Melissa and Sanal stopped by to visit and see the babies tonight too. :)