6 Months...Such a Milestone!

Happy 1/2 year birthday to my two little loves!  I can't help but sit here and think about how at this time last year I was spending most of my time puking or attempting not to puke due to the two little beans growing inside me! Now, I spend most of my time cleaning up little puke (spit up actually), but oh boy how different our world is just one short year later! I wake up most every morning to the sounds of cooing and laughter (I say most because every once in a while someone will be awake sitting in his crib waiting longer than he wants to, which leads to the "Get in here and pick me up already" cry).  And as my hubby said just the other day, it's crazy because even if one of our little guys has a bad night, they still wake up so stinkin' happy! I love that! So where has the time gone? How did we make it this last 6 months? Lots of help, love, hugs and cuddles, and a little crying here and there from most all parties involved!

Two of the happiest, sweetest 6 month old boys I know!

 This past month has definitely tested our family.  Going back to work after being off for pretty much the first five months of my little guys' lives was tough, for many reasons. I have so much respect for moms in general, and such a huge respect for stay-at-home moms, but wow has my opinion on working moms changed exponentially! Talk about just being plain 'ole exhausted. I didn't realize how much I should have cherished taking a little nap during the day after having a bad night.  Now, I find myself sitting in class right after lunch and yawning nonstop! But, I don't think I would change it.  I love my students.  They bring me such joy and I think it really makes me appreciate my boys so much more when I pick them up from the sitter and have my few hours with them in the afternoon.  Don't get me wrong, I am heart broken that I am missing some of the big things that are taking place in their lives right now, but I still feel joy and pride when I get to see it for the first time myself! Speaking of milestones, wow are these boys growing up and doing some amazing things! So...guess I should get to that!

Landon,

My big boy! You continue to grow big and strong! Everyone jokes how you must be the one hogging all the food (oh, if only they really knew huh buddy?! LOL!)! You have started to sit up unassisted now, as long as someone or something is beside and behind you.  We joke how your plumpy midsection definitely helps you with that! =) But you enjoy it too and are constantly trying to do it on your own.  It's like it gives you a different perspective of your cozy little world. And once you started rolling over on to your tummy on your own, there was no stopping you! I think this has helped you sleep a little better at night too.  The down side is, you have always been our stuffy nosed little man, so sleeping on  your tummy sometimes leads to one runny little nose, which equals one unhappy camper and quite a collection of boogers on your pjs.  But you are learning to cope and I am happy to say that just in the past two weeks, you have only woke up one to two times at night, and for the most part go to sleep either right after being fed or after just a minute or two of crying, falling back asleep on your own (oh how that makes Mommy so happy!).

Speaking of falling asleep on your own...we finally decided that we were going to do Cry It Out with you with the encouragement and support of some of Mommy's friends, because you were having a hard time getting back to sleep mostly throughout the night and you were starting to wake up so much (every hour or two). Usually getting you to sleep wasn't a problem, but in order to embrace CIO 100%, that would mean starting it the moment we put you into your crib. I am not going to lie, this was hard on us.  Daddy and I definitely needed each other's support.  Fortunately though, you picked up on it fairly quickly. We started the day you turned 24 weeks old and decided to start with naps instead of braving it at night right off the bat. You cried for about 25 minutes and then miraculously you were out! You took about an 1 1/2 hour nap in your crib, at one point waking up and crying for about 10 minutes, but then falling back to sleep. It didn't take you as long the 2nd nap or even at bed time that night. Thank goodness too, because I had heard stories about some babies crying for hours...and I must say I worked up in my mind that I would be prepared for an hour or more of crying, but thankfully you didn't make me test myself.  The crying at bed time lasted about 2 days. We were stunned when on the 3rd night we put you in your crib, you talked to yourself for a couple of minutes and then you were out! Aaaahhhh...that helped solidify the CIO method for us.  I think you just needed it, to know that you could cry a little (which you have always seemed to need to do, that or talk a lot just before falling asleep). The first two nights were tough too, just to hear you cry and not go in and rub your back or give you your binky, but I think we were just were creating bad habits. So as of right now, if you wake up between 10-11pm, I'll feed you and change your diaper, but after that, you have to cry a little.  And wouldn't you know, the craziest thing...you stopped waking up for the most part! Wow! You haven't needed a feeding 2 out of the last 3 nights. You did wake up last night around 2:20am (which seems to be your time, almost down to the minute) but then went back to sleep after a couple of minutes, then woke again in between 4-5, but didn't really get up until 5:40am.  You are getting there buddy! Actually, you are in the midst of a good 2 hour nap as I am typing!

Well, I guess to counteract your lack of sleep, you make up for it by being our "happy, smiley" baby! You are ALWAYS smiling, laughing, just enjoying life.  You light up when you see just about anyone, even Daisy! You are so happy you even take full advantage of your jumperoo, really looking like you are going to jump  into space! We love it! We don't know how much you're weighing exactly right now (we'll know by Wednesday at your 6 month appointment), but you are probably for sure past the 17 lb mark. And you do certainly enjoy food.  You have liked everything we give you from sweet peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash to avocados, bananas, applesauce, carrots and pears.  You haven't turned your nose up at anything! How wonderful! And although you never really were the mouth open, hungry little bird type during eating, you have started to show a lot more interest lately...and even are trying to be more independent  trying to grab the spoon and feed yourself! Love it! And you started holding your bottle on your own.  It doesn't last the whole feeding, but you are getting better.  We got these little handles that go on your bottles and they have really helped you! A typical "day in the life" right now looks like this:
You wake up between 5-5:45am, you eat (not sure how much during this feeding because I am still breastfeeding you for this one feeding), then get dressed and ready for your day. You tend to take a nap around 7 or 7:30 for anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour. Then you're up, play on your tummy or in your jumper, and around 8:30 or so eat breakfast which is oatmeal and usually some kind of fruit, mainly applesauce, but we are starting to introduce you to many more types of fruit. Then at about 9am you get a 6 oz bottle (you get 3 bottles of formula usually throughout the day and 1 of pumped breast milk as Mommy tries to keep up with pumping...we'll see how much longer I can hang with that). More play time, a good nap hopefully around this point, and then up about 11:30am for lunch.  This is where we do a  nice mix of veggies, then another 6oz bottle around 12 noon.  Then depending on how you feel (and where you are, because at the sitter's you don't tend to nap really well), you will take another little nap. Up again, a bottle at 3pm, some play time, sometimes a walk in the afternoons with me just to get us all, including Daisy, out of the house (and with the nicer weather, it is becoming more doable), maybe a cat nap if you're really tired, then one last bottle, 8 oz, at about 5:30pm for dinner.  Then it's mommy's favorite time of the day...bath time! You just LOVE bath time.  You splash  and kick your little feet like an Olympic swimmer! You really enjoy it and so do I.  I can't wait for you to really be able to sit up and just play in the bath more! Then it is off to bed usually by 6.

I am absolutely loving watching you grow so big buddy! You are wearing mainly 6-9 month clothes, but fit into the occasional 12 month outfits too.  And I think you are getting longer quicker.  Your pjs seem to get tighter on your feet faster than your brother's. You have an amazing personality and are such a lover.  You lately have been giving your daddy little bear hugs.  He just loves them! I think too, you are Daddy's little mini-me! You resemble him so much and seem to have some of his quirks! Can't wait to watch you grow up more and really see your little light shine even more! I love you Landon Douglas! You are my little Michelin Man, as I call you to my students, and you make me so happy! You fill my heart with so much love, I think between you, your brother, Daddy and the fur babies, it could easily explode! I am a very lucky mommy to have you love bug!!!

Typical Landon...full of smiles!

Loving how curious you are getting too! Grabbing and reaching for EVERYTHING!!!

Parker,

My little peanut! You may be smaller then your brother, but boy can you blow his laugh out of the water these days! And you are quite the little yapper!  You are constantly talking...to us, to your brother, to the dog, the tv, your toys...you name it! It's the most wonderful sound! Everyone comments on how much smaller you are, but I really don't think you will ever let that bother you! I have a feeling you will easily show anyone bigger, your brother included, who's boss.  =) You already seem to be a little more dominant too.  Lately, especially with you and your brother really getting interested in toys and reaching for them and such, you have started to take interest in anything you can get your hands on, even if your brother happens to be playing with it first.  LOL! Your dad commented today that were we really already having to tell you to share! Yes, we are...and it's great.  People still tend to call you the serious one and lately you have been quite hesitant of new faces.  Your sitter says you cry whenever someone new gets near you, and I got to see this first hand the other day when our neighbor, who you do know but just haven't seen lately, came up and kissed you on the forehead.  You freaked out and started wailing.  It was funny.  You were fine but just to see you react like that.  Ah, will you really be my shy guy? I don't think many people get to see this pretty outgoing personality that Daddy and I know oh so well.  Some day!

You are mommy's little sleeper, not always during the day, but boy do you sleep all night! I joke all the time that if I only had you, I'd have had a baby sleeping through the night for at least a month now. Auntie Alisa says that wouldn't be the case, that if I only had one baby, it would for sure be the non-sleeper.  ;) Oh how you do the nights well though.  You have lately been crying a little when we put you in your crib, but once you are out, you are out! I don't really hear a peep from you until about 4 or 4:30am.  Then you fall back asleep for about another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.  Then you wake up and play in your crib for a little while until we come and get you by about 5:45am. And I must say, you navigate all around your crib during the night.  It's hilarious to look at the video monitor a couple times before we go to bed and see how you started at one side and will then be on the complete opposite side!

And you are quite our little eater when it comes to the solids! Dr. H said when she told us to start introducing you to solids that eventually you would look like a little bird reaching for food with a wide open mouth...boy was she right.  I am trying to get the perfect picture that shows this.  We have a couple videos of it too! And you, just like your brother, love every kind of food we have given you! I am very grateful for that.  It's been fun too, because I am have been making all your baby food myself.  Shocking, I know! It's really because we got this baby food maker, the Beabe from Williams-Sonoma, but there is a great story to how we got it (which I am spacing if I wrote about it last month). Either way, I'll tell it again I'm sure.  It lead us to a wonderful new friendship with super cute twins, Tinley and Tristan, and their parents! I'm sure we'll have plenty of stories in the future with them! So...surprisingly, you have only made a funny face when eating the puffs.  I don't know if it's because of the texture or the taste, but your face cracks me up.  You are definitely the more expressive one when it comes to your face!

And if I had to put my money on who would crawl first, I am betting on you little man.  Just last week (Oct. 3) you somehow got your knees under your tummy and started to rock back and forth! It totally took us by surprise! You have been doing it a ton too once you figured it out.  I am thinking you will be crawling within the next few weeks! Oh man, then are we in for trouble! For now though you seem content to roll wherever it is you want to go.  Just the other day I walked into the kitchen, my view blocked by the bar in between the kitchen and living room, to grab a water.  When I walked back around, you had rolled off your blanket and were reaching for the dog's toy! Oh vey! And when I was in the kitchen another time and you were in  your bouncy chair, you managed to get almost all the way turned around and were sliding out (mommy made the mistake of not strapping you in, you little booger!).  I have a picture of that one that I will have to post.  You make me laugh.  You are absolutely going to be on the run just as soon as you figure it out!

Thank you little man for the many bright moments.  I have loved how you have been reaching for our faces lately, grabbing our noses and lips and just really exploring.  It makes me laugh to see you and your brother just really starting to discover this wide world around you! You make me so happy, down to my core.  I don't think I have ever really known happiness like this.  I feel like my little family is so perfect because of my wonderful husband, and my two perfect little peanuts! You still spit up a lot but I know one day it will just stop and we'll be at a loss! No matter what, we have always called you our happy spitter, because you are...so happy! And our little gymnast too! I love how you always have a foot in a hand...and lately, in your mouth.  =) Keep reaching buddy, and reach for the stars! They are waiting for you! I love you Parker Neal.  Keep growing strong love bug!

Yup, that is Parker, looking like he is talking up a storm...and like he has something very important to say too!

Always got those toes in hand!

Curious as can be!

 And on a final note, you have finally had your first night of being put down by someone else.  Mommy and Daddy had a date night and went to see Wicked at the Smith Center (which was amazing and such a great night out). So, we got your favorite twins, Talia and Sophia, with Auntie Lisa of course, to babysit.  You both were good boys, so we hear, and had a good couple of hours to play with the girls, eat dinner, take baths, and go to bed.  They said you both went down very well! And I had a nice, relaxed time out because I knew you two were in such good hands.  Plus, Auntie Lisa and the girls had helped us a couple of times with our bed time routine while Daddy had football, so they were like old pros! One more first was your first time to a soccer match to help support GV Girl's Soccer and Stu Co Pack the Field. You both just LOVED hanging with some of Mommy's favorite students and of course, you relished all the attention.  You both were very good boys too! We stayed for a while to watch the girls get a 1 to nothing lead, which kept you up about a 1/2 hour past your bed time, but we came home, changed you into pjs and you both went to sleep quickly and quietly.  It was fun to see some of my students who I have had for 4 years gushing over you both.  It brought such a big smile to my face! Can't wait to go support GV and Daddy during Homecoming in two weeks!  Well, I am sure I have rambled enough.  You have a big few weeks and months coming up! I can't wait to see all that you continue to learn and do.  I love you both so much!!!

 A typical sight lately, you two with your rattles in your mouths!

These next couple of pics just crack me up...sibling rivalry already?!

I love you two with all my heart! Your smiles just make my heart melt!!!! Happy 6 months you little rascals!

Fun and Eventful 5 Months!

5 whole months! Wow.  Where has the time gone? I feel like I ask that question every day, week, month...
So, a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks.  It has definitely been one of the most fulfilling months with all of the great things the boys have started to do! And boy are we loving it!!! We also had two great weeks of visits from all sorts of friends. Daddy had football 6 nights a week for two weeks, so Mommy enlisted the help of some friends, and boy did they deliver! You two got to meet all kinds of new friends! And we are so grateful not only for the company and help, but just having such wonderful people in our lives like Deb, Lisa and the twins, Alex and Adrianna, Cat, Leah and Auntie Christa to name a few.

So what has been happening? Well...

Boys,

You are getting so big everyday.  Landon, you can definitely see your size difference in comparison with your brother and we are sure you still have at least 3 lbs on him.  But he is working his darnedest to catch up, that is for sure! You both had your first taste of solids on August 2nd. Dr. H said because you were starting to have problems sleeping (were sleeping 5-6 hour stretch then started waking up every hour or two) that you could probably start to eat solids, starting with cereal. So we waited a couple days after your 4 month appointment, because your shots kind of kicked your butt for a couple of days, and you had your first taste of oatmeal.  We decided to do oatmeal mixed with some breast milk instead of rice cereal because we heard it was a little more gentle on the tummy, and we know Landon could use all the help we could give with that. You had a couple "bites" and you did ok. You didn't completely push it out of your mouth. And you did much better actually probably tasting some on the second day that we gave it to you. You have been having it after your 2nd feeding, just so we had time throughout the day to see if you had any reactions.

What other big things have happened these past few weeks? Landon, you kind of sat up while sitting on Daddy's lap. Very cool to see your neck, back and ab strength! And you are all about it now, really pulling yourself up into the seated position all the time. You both also had your first time in a swimming pool at our friends, Kim & Adam's house. After the initial plunge, you both liked it. Auntie Ky held Landon while I held Parker. It was a fun time...as long as you weren't splashed or the water didn't move too much around you! LOL! Parker you at first were eating a lot more of the oatmeal. Landon wasn't quite sure about it at first. Boy has that changed. You BOTH LOVE food! Not a shocker given how much your mommy and daddy love it!

On August 8th, we had you start to sleep without being swaddled. We did this primarily because you both were starting to show interest in rolling over.  And before we knew it, Parker, you took to rolling on to your belly and love it! That is how you sleep now. You are still trying to figure out all of your movement during the night, and you definitely don't like ending up with your head up against the sides of your crib. That tends to piss you off and starts some loud wails.  You'll figure it out soon enough. Landon, you just weren't ready to go sans swaddle.  So we were swaddling you with one arm out.  You were ok with that about 1/2 of the time.

Landon, this past month marked the start of some special appointments for you. We had to go to Orthopedic Motion to get your head checked out on August 10th.  This is because of your kind while in-utero, and the fact that you favor turning your head all the way to the left, your left side of your head is flat and your ear a little lower than your right.  Let's just say your symmetry is off just a bit. So the doc took some measurements, assured us it wasn't horrible but still not exactly where it should be, and then sent us home with information to read over.  She also told us that it is good we're being proactive, but 4 months is a little too young to get a helmet, especially because most babies wear it for about 4-6 months and she said your head would still make a lot of natural changes between then and when you are 6 months old. So, we scheduled a follow up appointment for the beginning of September and will get your little noggin measured again to see if it is naturally starting to fill out the way it should.  The doc said this was possible just because of how much you would be doing tummy time and starting to sit up now.  I have noticed some slight changes since your appointment, and you're really starting to turn your head more to the right, awake and asleep, so I am hoping for big changes by the time you have the next appointment.

8-9 & 8-10 started feeding Landon 6oz & Parker 4oz at dinner time, then fed an extra 2oz right before bed. Then on 8-10 we did 4oz at dream feed around 10:30. Seemed to help you sleep a little better. Ended up feeding you at 3am that night and then you slept in until 7. We're slowly but surely starting to figure it out. Landon, we did end up swaddling you again with one arm out. That still seems to help you.

This month was also the start of daycare as Mommy and Daddy would be going back to work. =( I still can't believe I was able to be home with you for practically the first 5 months of your life. What a blessing and I am SO grateful and happy I was able to have the time with you boys. You went 3 full days at Ana and Orlando's from August 13th through the 15th. It was a little hard for mommy but you both did so well!!! And we absolutely love your sitters. They are a wonderful couple (Orlando is retired so he helps Ana) and they raised twin boys of their own, so we know you are in great hands.  That really makes a huge difference in how we feel when your are there.  We don't even worry and know you are having a great time.  And boy do they just love you two! Parker, you seem to be Ana's little sidekick, while Landon, you have Orlando wrapped around your little chubby fingers! You have finally done your first full week there and did well.  You are still struggling to figure out naps there, which sucks. You are both pretty tired when I pick you up around 3:30 depending on how many naps or how long your naps were.  We will hopefully get that figured out as your both get bigger!

We started to move on with more solids and it has been a blast.  You both LOVE everything you have had so far.  Parker, you are certainly the little "bird" out of the two opening your mouth up wide and eager to get the next spoonful! It's been fun watching you have new tastes. You have yet to deny anything we've given you. And the greatest part is I have made everything, with the exception of one meal of sweet potatoes (yams) that you ate while we all went out for our last lunch of the summer together. So what have you had? You ate carrots for the first time on August 17. That was your first solid food beyond oatmeal. You both seemed to like them. Mommy made them in the Beaba babycook baby food maker. We got it from our new friends the Love family, BJ, Robin, and their 10 month old twins Triston and Tinley who mommy and daddy met in Williams and Sonoma! I just love how the universe works.  And we have been fortunate to hang out with the Love family a couple more times before summer was over.  We are excited for you both to have some twin friends!!!

You both are loving tummy time. Obviously Parker, it is your go to position. But it is fun to see how you both are reaching for things (your rattles, Sophies, anything) from your belly position and Parker, you even like to roll over with anything you are holding on to, especially your multi-colored rubber ball. Parker you almost had you binky up and in your mouth and you reached out and grabbed your rattle. So cool to see you both having these huge milestones. You have also had the white version of the sweet potato, peas, avocado, butternut squash and a couple of the Gerber puffs (the sweet potato flavor). I am loving watching you eat everything and you genuinely seem to enjoy it all!

Landon you sleep with your left eye open a bit. It's so funny and too cute. Looks like you're keeping a eye on everyone. Reminds me of how your Auntie Tey sleeps! LOL! Landon, we also had to take you to the heart doctor on Tuesday, August 21. The doctor said everything looked good and that yes you have a heart murmur but it shouldn't cause you any problems.  You were 25 1/2 inches and weighed 14.7 lbs.

Around week 20 nights were getting a little better. Mommy decided to silence the monitor so I didn't wake up at every little noise. But I don't have to worry. I can definitely wake to either one of crying, like Parker usually when you've inched your way all the way up into the top of your crib or gotten a leg stuck in one of the slots! But the last week or two nights have become very rough.  So rough in fact that we ordered this ridiculous contraption called the Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit for you Landon in the hopes that it would help you stop waking up every hour or two.  We got it last Wednesday and put you into it immediately that night.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It worked! You slept from about 7pm until I woke you up at 6am the next morning.  I got my first 5 hour stretch of sleep in ages as I slept from 8:30 to 1:30 that morning. I woke to Parker screaming, but he just as quickly put himself back to sleep. Wish I could say the same for myself.  I was wide awake for at least an hour.  I finally fell asleep by about 3.  It was a good  night! But the honeymoon was over. It only lasted one night.  For some reason, since that night, you both have had a very hard time.  You both also seem to be suffering from allergies or maybe your first little cold.  You have runny noses, Landon your eyes were horribly watery, and the sneezing is in full force. But part of me wonders if this is in combination to teething because you both are chewing non-stop on your hands and drooling. LOL. It makes me laugh because every time something comes up, we keep wondering if it is teething.  I know those little suckers are going to pop up sometime soon!

And with all these exciting milestones, yummy food, playing, reaching, inching on your bellys, you were able to wrap up your month with a great visit from Grandma and Grandpa Peterson.  You haven't seen Grandpa since you were a couple days old, and Grandma since you were 4 weeks old, so it was a great visit. They loved getting to play with you and just really getting to know both of your sweet little personalities! We had a lot of fun! And we made some great memories!

I am so proud of how wonderful you both are! You are sweet little boys and pretty darn happy almost all the time too! Parker, I think your main mode of movement will be rolling.  You go from your back to belly and want to just keep going.  Landon, you might actually start to crawl before your brother.  Grandma was really trying to help you get your legs up under your belly! We shall see what the next month brings! I am betting big things!

I love you boys with all my heart.  I can't wait to get home at the end of a long day at work just to snuggle with you and give you tons of kisses! You make me so happy and just know that your daddy and I are having so much fun with you.  It was wonderful seeing all these great things you can do now! And we look forward to every new day and what it will bring!

Watching baseball I'm sure...or the Summer Olympics! LOL!

Visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Peterson. So much fun!

4 Months! Where has the time gone?!

What a fabulous four months it has been! Yes, there have been plenty of sleepless nights (even quite a few as of late...ugh!), but this last month has been so much FUN! The boys are growing so much and developing these amazing little personalities! We are so in love. And I can't say enough how extremely fortunate and blessed I am to have had the past 17 weeks off to be with my guys.  With that said, school is looming around the corner as we go back in about 2 1/2 weeks (boo, I LOVE my job, ask anyone, but I think I am going to have a little bit harder time than I thought with regards to going back to work and leaving my little men with a sitter). But, that's for another post (the one probably titled "Why Can't I Stop Crying?"...lol!). So, on to celebrating the 4th month of my little guys' lives!

Landon and Parker

Boys, you both continue to grow bigger and stronger and what joy this brings to our daily lives.  We had a fun month.  Of course, there was your first visit to the beach, but we also had a very exciting visit from your auntie and your cousins, Zack and Drewger who are 6 and 4.  And boy do those boys just love being around both of you.  They are so eager to hold you and play with you.  It's funny! They are even willing to throw away your diapers when we change you and Drewger was SO excited to change a diaper or two.  Not sure that will last too much longer! LOL! We also played tourist while they were here so you gto to see a bunch of cool sites in your very own city like the Natural History Museum, the Shark Reef and parts of the strip which even included your first ride on the monorail from Mandalay Bay to the Luxor. Very cool! I am happy to say you both still love bath time, which is one of my favorites.  Parker, you love the water on your head, and Landon you could do without it. As for eating, you both are still nursing about 5 or 6 times a day and in the last 2 or 3 weeks we have started finishing off your day with a bottle of formula.  You both were getting about 4 oz, but this past week Landon you've been eating 6 oz and Parker is eating 5 oz. We are trying to get you to sleep in until 6am each morning and that seems to be getting better. Although, sometimes you do try to wake up at 5 or 5:30am. We're hoping to get you more on that 6am schedule soon with school starting soon for Mommy and Daddy.  Everyday as you both grow bigger, stay awake a little longer, and  become aware of so much more around you, we continue to add to the stacks and stacks of memories we are making with you two.

Landon,

We had quite the month didn't we my little big guy? Of course, we had a fun and exciting 4th of July at Newport Beach, California with Gigi.  That was a great week for you because you and your brother actually slept through the WHOLE night (about 8pm to 5am). Oh how mommy wishes we could repeat those 4 days.  =) It's ok though.  A lot of other things have happened this month that are very exciting and maybe that's why you keep waking up at night.  I forgive you.  ;) You have really discovered a lot this month: your hands, your brother, toys, you legs and feet.  It's amazing seeing you realize something new. During your 14th week you actually started keep a tight grip on some toys like your little multi-colored ball and your rattle.  You can hang on to it for a good 30 seconds to a minute sometimes. And you have really started noticing your brother.  He definitely started to see you before you saw him, but it's great to see both of your expressions now as you look and realize there is another small being right next to you.  I love it! And although you waited until a couple of days after your brother, you finally rolled over from your belly onto your back.  And once you got it down, you just kept doing it.  It cracks me and Daddy up every time because it is so exciting to watch, but I have to admit, you kind of look like a turtle who gets flipped over and just doesn't know what to do.  LOL! Your arms just sort of stay frozen for a couple of seconds and your eyes are huge as you hear us clapping and laughing in excitement.  It's awesome!

You also have really found your voice.  To say you were the quiet one could be an understatement.  You would giggle when we'd get you going, but your brother was considered the yapper. Oh little man, you have stolen his thunder.  And you talk sometimes at the funniest times.  You like to talk to your mobile in your swing.  One time in the middle of the night when I was feeding your brother, you must have been able to see me from  your crib, and of course it only seemed natural I guess to say hi, because you started chatting with me right then.  Daddy was cracking up when I made it back to the room because he heard you over the monitor.  And one of the greatest moments was this past week when we sat you and your brother up facing each other and you starting "talking" to each other.  It was wonderful.  You both just kept smiling, looking at each other and gabbing up a storm.  We can't wait for that to just flourish even more! So like I said, you started having sleep problems this past week waking at some points almost every hour or two.  We were at such a loss.  We thought it maybe could be teething because you have for sure discovered your hands and the drool has started like a faucet, but we haven't seen any teeth just yet.  The sleeplessness lasted about a week.  I did feed you at some points twice during those nights so it might have been one heck of a growth spurt too.  With that being said, we rang in your 4th month with your 4 month appointment.  It included shots which really seemed to kick your butts this time with a full two days of low fever and crankiness, but it has finally passed! Dr. H also told us that because of a low heart murmur she heard at your last appointment and again at this one, that we need to go see a cardiologist.  =( That appointment is in a couple of weeks and we are just praying that they clear you and all is well.  That's not where is ends though.  She also recommended that we go to see a specialist about your head. It has a bit of a flatness to it on the left side (partly probably because of your kink in the right side of your neck since birth with has always caused you to naturally favor keeping your head turned to the left). Poor guy.  Dr. H told us not to be surprised if you were in a helmet the next time we see her.  That appointment is next week.  We'll see what they say but we'll do whatever we need to in order to make sure you are growing strong and healthy kiddo! But nothing seems to dim your playful mood.  You are such a lover and you cheese out when we play with you.  You really love it when Daddy gives you Eskimo kisses.  It is lovely! I am praying for you buddy with all these little hiccups that seem to keep plaguing you. But I am grateful we have the means to be able to get your the help for them! I love you my chunky monkey, and chunky you are.  =) You weighed 13 lbs 8 oz at this last appointment on your 4th month day and measured in at 24 1/2 inches! We can definitely feel you getting bigger every time we pick you up! Love you buddy and we are excited about the next couple of months and all the things you will start to learn and do!

Parker,

You are still my little little man! Where your brother seems to be at the high end of the spectrum with weight gain and such, you are at the opposite end, gaining just what is necessary to get by, which is about 1/2 oz a day. But Dr. H is still pleased, saying you are growing well and will just be our lean guy.  But I think you will hold your own with your brother soon enough.  I wish I could say that you have stopped spitting up or that it has alleviated some, but that's not really the case. You can still be counted on to spit up pretty much after every meal, but you definitely have some good days where not too much comes out.  I just continue to pray the older you get and the better your digestion gets, that is will lessen and disappear before we know it. You continue to  be our little chatter box.  You talk when you're tired, when you're hungry, when you're happy...you pretty much talk all the time.  And your range in sounds and such is wonderful to hear. I have no doubt you will continue to be our talkative one as your vocabulary increases.

You too have discovered how wonderful your hands are and have really started to grab objects and hold on to them. You easily grip your rattle and love to steal the ball away from your brother.  I am sure that will be a cause of many fights to come.  LOL! You were the first one to roll over from your belly to your back on July 17th. And you did it a couple of times, but then decided that since you could check that skill off of the list, you didn't really feel like doing it since.  If I had to put my money on anything, I would say that you are going to be the first one to roll from your back to your belly.  The way you arch your back and push up onto your side, you are almost there.  If you could just figure out how to move your arm down to allow your body to flip.  Soon enough kiddo!

We tried to put you and your brother down for a nap unswaddled. You both weren't having it. You do fall asleep right after we swaddle you. So funny. We know we need to break you of this habit soon enough, or sleep prop, we just have to figure out how! I guess we'll wait until we really feel it's necessary, like when you are really rolling over.  And something tell me, that if it weren't for your brother waking up in the middle of the night and getting fed (which means we feed you too), I would almost bet that you might sleep through the whole night.  Call Mommy chicken, but I am just not sure enough to not feed you and see if it happens.  =) I enjoy you my little expressive man.  I feel like you have so much to say and I could never get tired of listening to you! And that smile of yours...priceless! Just keep growing strong baby boy! You sweet little guy you!

And boys, I know the next couple of weeks are going to bring about many HUGE changes as we go back to work and your will start at the sitter's house.  We have been very blessed to find a wonderful woman who raised twin boys of her own.  And I have no doubt she will smother you both with so much kindness and love.  We can see that just within our small time with her thus far.  But I bet I am going to be the big baby as we start leaving you.  5 months with you (with really only a handful of hours away) is going to be a challenge.  I know we all can do it, but I will miss watching you laugh out loud during your naps or discovering something new during playtime.  Oh, what a great first 4 months it has been.  Thank you my sweethearts for all the happiness you have brought me! I love you both so much and my heart is so full from you! Let's bring on the adventures of your 5th month!!!

13!!! A Big Patriotic Week!

Visiting Gigi in Newport Beach, CA at Newport Dunes!
Boy's first camping trip!

What a big week we just had! So, I think it is only fitting that it have a post of it's very own, especially since I would likely forget some things if I waited until the boys 4 month mark to write about them. So, a mini celebration to their 13th week of life!

We  felt it was time to escape the Vegas heat. I mean, every time we walked outside, it would literally felt like we were melting (hitting 105* that week and as I am writing this, it is 114* outside! YUCK!)! So, what better place to go to do that than the beach and to have the boys go camping technically for the first time?! We were off to Newport Beach, California to visit Gigi (Grandpa's mom, mommy's grandma) for 4th of July week.  And we were all excited to hear it was going to be in the 70s for the most part! Ah, what would that be like?! We went from Monday until Friday and had the most amazing time!

We started our drive to SoCal right after both boys woke up and ate. It usually takes about 4 hours to drive there, but we made a pit stop in Baker, California for the boys to eat again. They were great the whole way and pretty much slept until we were pulling off the freeway near our destination. Newport Dunes is where Gigi calls home and we were ecstatic we were getting to stay with her for a few days. Lodging would be tight as we were staying in her 32 foot RV, but it all worked out wonderfully. The boys did great! Monday was spent basically relaxing for our first night there, and Gigi getting some cuddle time in with her two great grandsons. We walked down to the bay but the wind was blowing and it was a little bit of torture for the little guys.  They weren't sure how to handle it.  The wind literally was taking the breath away. Poor guys.

Tuesday, while Gigi was at the gym, we headed up to Huntington Beach to have breakfast at the Sugar Shack and then walked out on the pier for the boys first "sighting" of the beach. It was a bit chilly, so they didn't come out of their car seats, but we got some great pictures none the less. And then (as food seems to always be a highlight for this momma), you can't go to Newport and not visit the Crab Cooker at least once. So we headed over there for a late lunch/early dinner and boy was it YUMMY! Nothing like the crab cakes and clam chowder there! =) After some naps and general playing at Gigi's, it was time to settle into bed for the night. The boys really did go down very well the whole time we were there for bed time (naps were hit or miss as they napped up on Gigi's bed), but they were very content in their pack and play bassinet for bedtime and it fit perfectly right next to Gigi's kitchen table (and darn it, would you know Grandma, we never did get a picture of our perfect little set up!). Well, at about 3:30am that night/next morning, I woke to a little bit of noise from one of the boys, but then nothing. They were out! So I sat there, waiting, and waiting, and waiting...from 3:30am until Parker started really stirring around 5:15am! What?! Yup! They had slept through the night for the first time! Even my hubby asked me when he opened his eyes around 4:45am, "No way! Did I miss something?" Nope, honey. Just me sitting, waiting and thinking any  minute one of our babies would wake up! LOL! And I am pleased to say, they continued that for the rest of our stay (and even the first night back home, but the last few nights have been a little touch and go)! Gigi said it was the cool, salty ocean air. Haha, whatever it was, can I bottle it up please?! It was amazing. And I noticed a change in the boys too. They woke up pretty happy and content.  What a milestone! Fingers crossed that it just continues!

4th of July finally made it and we joined some of Gigi's neighbors for an omelet boil (I think that's what they called it).  We headed down the road to another RV and got to pick our favorite omelet ingredients, put them in a big Ziploc bag with a giant scoop of scrambled egg. Then, they were labeled with our names and added to the waiting area. The "chef" dropped each one into a giant vat of boiling water for 13 minutes and viola, yummy omelet breakfast! And it really was delish! We sat and chatted a bit and then the 5 of us decided to take a cruise around the dune's bay to check out the 4th of July happenings.  The place was packed with patriotic beach goers settling in for the day and for the evening's fireworks show! We made our way around the entire bay and headed back to the trailer for a nice little lunch and nap. Then it was time to welcome some more friends and family at Gigi's, which included my second cousin and her husband, and my grandma's good friend! We all had a great afternoon chatting, catching up, and just enjoying the very overcast day. And we couldn't have a 4th of July gathering without a BBQ. Burgers and salad were served and it was all yummy. After putting the boys down, Daddy volunteered to stay behind at the trailer on baby duty and the rest of us wondered down to the bay to get a good spot for the fireworks. To be honest, I don't know if there was a bad seat! The fireworks went off right above our heads. One of the most amazing 4th of July firework experiences I have every seen.  It was great. We even got to see a couple of shows off in the distance.  When all was said and done, we headed back to the trailer for a little festive dessert of angel food cake topped with strawberries, blueberries, and Cool Whip.  YUM! A great way to wrap up a great 4th!

Our last full day in Newport Beach was a wonderful one as well. We headed over to Balboa Island for breakfast at Wilma's Patio (see, there I go continuing to talk about food! I had some of the most wonderful eggs benedict in case anyone was wondering!). After breakfast, we drove down and parked on Topaz St., where grandma's family once owned two homes, one of which I was lucky enough to experience as a kid. Awe, the memories. We parked and headed down to the ferry that would take us over to the peninsula. The boys FIRST ferry boat ride and it was awesome! Of course, they slept through the whole ride, both ways, but I loved being able to take them on it! We walked around the peninsula and down to the pier, picking up two postcards that we sent from right there with a little note from Gigi and a memorable magnet to add to our growing magnet collection of places we've been!

Breakfast at Wilma's

One of the houses on Topaz St. on Balboa Island

The Balboa Pavilion

On the ferry

Huntington Beach Pier

And we finally rounded out our trip by taking in a MLB baseball game. Another first for the boys! We saw the Angels of Anaheim take on (and win) the Baltimore Orioles. It was fun and we stayed until the 8th inning. The boys did great and stayed up for a good chunk of the game and then finally fell asleep in their carseats. We had a great time and it was a wonderful experience.  Overall, the trip was fabulous and just what all of us needed! It was awesome spending great quality time with Gigi, especially since she hadn't seen the boys since they were about a week old. Now, with them being so active and talkative, she really got to see them growing up and into their little personalities. And I loved just being able to hang out with my amazing grandma for a few days.

So we said our good byes and gave big kisses and headed out. The boys had another great car ride all the way home, sleeping most of the way. Back to the horrid heat of Vegas, but with amazing memories of a beautiful summer trip to the beach with Gigi! Aaaahhhhh!