Month 4, Week 3

Whew! It's been a busy week around here!

Last Sunday we all went down to Wayne and Nina's for a visit. The boys were pretty good for the first couple of hours but their tiredness caught up to them. Both were crying and my only option was to put them down for naps. I felt bad to leaving Nina with all of the nephews, but I knew the crying wasn't going to stop. We hijacked their bed for over and hour while the boys slept.

I thought there was a Mother's of Multiples meeting on Tuesday. Everyone brings a snack, so the boys and I went to Publix to get chips and the materials to make dip. This was the first time I took the boys anywhere by myself and it went pretty well. Now, we were only in the store for about 15min and I fed them before we went, so I had stacked things in my favor.

When we first walked in, one of the deli workers was leaving. She saw the boys and got this huge grin on her face. She stopped and asked me if they were twins (yep!). I was kind of worried that standing and talking to this lady was going to make the boys fussy, so I started pushing the stroller forward a little, to kind of rock it. I guess she understood (or thought I was in a hurry), so the next thing she says is "I'll walk with you!" Uh... Ok. hehe So here I am, walking through Publix with her while she asks me questions about the boys. Apparently a co-worker is expecting twins, so she wanted info I guess. The whole thing was pretty funny.

We made it through the whole trip with no crying - not even any grouchiness in the van. I was surprised. When we got home, I put the things away and we took a nap. About 2hrs later, we got up and started making the dip. I put the boys in their bouncy chairs and stuck them up on the island in the kitchen. I showed them all of the utensils I was using and talked them through the chopping and mixing. They really liked the red bowl I used and gave it big, wide eyes every time I held it up. We also sniffed all of the ingredients (except the onions!) and talked about what color they were. I don't think they like parsley much.

Dip in the fridge, we took another nap and woke up just as Jim was getting home. The plan was to divide and conquer. I'd take one boy to the meeting while Jim took the other to the mall. We got everything packed up and headed to the Greenville Hospital (they use a conference room there). Jim dropped me and Alex off. I head to the room and it's empty. Ugh. I come to find out I was a week early. I called Jim to come get us. Alex had a good time looking around, though. We headed to Target instead, our default destination when plans go awry.

Jim and I increased our life insurance policies so the boys are covered if either or both of us get mowed down by a turnip truck. To be sure we're not playing the system, they sent over a nurse on Wednesday to take some samples. The boys were on their playmats and were streeetching their necks to see her. It was pretty cute.

Thursday was a big day for me and the boys. Publix earlier in the week was kind of a practice run. This was the real deal. I took the boys to the mall by myself. We met another mom there who had 9mo boy/girl twins. We walked around for about 30min while the babies chilled in their strollers. After that we met up with the Greenville Attachment Parenting group, who were also walking the mall that day. All in all, we spent 2hrs walking around. Both boys were pretty good. I got some minor fussiness from Zach about 1.5hrs in. By then Alex was asleep.

I was really surprised at how well they behaved, considering they had been up for about 4hrs total before we headed home. Normally they start getting cranky after 1hr at home, but I guess there's not as much fun stuff to see here. We also walked briskly, which they prefer to slow grocery store walking. We were quite the sight, too - a caravan of about 5 strollers and 8 kids doing laps. Luckily there's not much traffic on a Thursday morning.

We're on week 2 of The Bedtime Routine. They know that a bath is coming and as we walk towards the tub they get all squirmy with excitement. I fill our garden tub with a couple of inches of water, put a towel down, and stick them both in. Their initial reaction is to give me big eyes and pee. hehe After getting used to the water, they'll kick and splash around. Tonight Alex got fired up and really went for some full body flailing. He ended up splashing himself in the face, which stunned him. The look on his face was hilarious, like "Who just did that?!?!"

They both still cry during the post-bath diaper/moisturizer/dressing part. Man, do they really hate moisturizer. I've read all of this stuff about baby message and it's obvious they weren't talking about our boys. They LOVE having their heads and cheeks rubbed, but apparently that's their limit. Zach even took it up a notch with some good screaming tonight as I tried to rub him down.

The next step in the sleepy time saga is getting them to sleep in their cribs for naps. I wanted to get them back to their normal sleep schedule first and we're almost there. Hopefully Jim will be able to help me kick start crib napping this weekend. In other sleep news, they've started waking up at 4am-5am and not going back to sleep unless I hold them. After rocking them for 30min, they still pop their eyes open when I try laying them down. So... I take them back to bed with me and Jim is banished to the floor. This needs to stop before it becomes an expectation.

They've been working on their development to-do list. Zach has decided that sitting is his preferred method of contact with the floor. Laying down is for babies. He's been practicing all week with a Boppy pillow around him for when he falls over. I'll sit in front of him with Alex on my lap. They'll just coo and laugh at each other, although Alex does try to reach for his face. After a few minutes, I'll switch their places so Alex can practice. They're getting ok at it but still tend to lean on an arm or two for support. They expect to be able to sit up anywhere, so there's a lot of grunting when they try to sit up in their car seats. The bouncy chairs have lost some of their fun since they don't want to lean back as much.

Both boys have also been working on their outside voices. I had them on the bed, facing each other this afternoon. They were only about 1ft apart but you would have thought it was a mile with all of the yelling. Alex will just let out a big, gleeful yelp every once in a while. Zach was practically shouting in return. They find each other HILARIOUS and constantly laugh. Like I mentioned before, Alex will try to reach for Zach and I'm careful he doesn't grab his face or anything.

Alex in general likes to reach and grab for things, while Zach likes to just look at it for a bit first. Someone told me that Zach is the one to watch out for - he's a planner. hehe Both boys will grab and chomp toys pretty well now. I gave Zach his peacock toy this afternoon. What I got in return was a much wetter version. While Zach munched on it, Alex was watching with a sort of jealous look, even though he had a toy of his own. When I swapped their toys, he still was watching Zach's toy more than his own. I don't think this was full on jealousy, just a grass is greener situation.

Both boys are almost constantly chewing on a hand. Alex is up to 3 fingers at a time, while Zach prefers 2. They'll suck their thumbs but not very often. A game Alex likes to play is to hold out a fist. Jim or I will give it a big, squeaky kiss. He'll laugh and pull it back for a minute before extending it again. They also love having their cheeks kissed. Sometimes it's a way to get them to stop crying, even.

I've been telling them the story of the Three Little Pigs. I considered having the Big Bad Wolf catch Swine Flu at the end, but Jim thinks that'll mess them up once they go to school. hehe

Month 4, Week 2

It's been a rough week. My parents headed out on Tuesday and I think I was a little shell-shocked. My "here-can-you-watch-him-while-I..." option was gone. Long gone.

I think parenting is a little like operating in a fog. Every once in a while the mist lifts and you see things for what they are. For me, the boys' sleep schedules (well, lack of them) came into full view this week. We used to follow the sleep-eat-play method where you feed them right when they wake-up. This works great because they don't associate eating with sleeping, so in theory anyone can put them to sleep. Then they started crying when it was nap time. The easiest way to quiet a crying baby? Feed him!

From there things just snowballed. I found myself pinned to the bed Tuesday. One baby was literally on top of me, nursing while sleeping, the other at my side, doing the same thing. They had been nursing for an hour, with 45min of that on auto-pilot while they snored softly. Cute? Yes. Painful for me? Also yes. I tried unplugging one boy. He immediately started rooting around with his eyes still closed. When he couldn't find his human pacifier, he woke up screaming. This woke up the other boy. The crying got so loud that I had to get them up and focused on something else, even though they only had half of their nap. The constant nursing needed to stop. I wanted my sleep-eat-play back.

I spent Tuesday evening reading a book Jim got me about sleep schedules. I felt trapped, not only by the excessive nursing but because they require me to sleep with them during the day. So I decided to try to get them to sleep in their cribs with the Cry It Out (CIO) method. It sounded easy the way the book put it. I don't know what I was thinking, trying to make two major changes at one time...

Wednesday morning Jim gets a call at work from me. I'm bawling. I made it through 15min of CIO before I broke down. It wasn't the crying that bothered me. Zach was giving us his angry/stubborn cry and that doesn't phase me at all. I can do stubborn, being good at it myself. It was Alex. He was just laying in his crib, giving me a heart wrenching sob. When I bent over to comfort him, the little boy tried his hardest to smile at me, even with tears running down his face. He just wanted held and loved. I burst into tears and didn't know what to do. The book doesn't want you to pick them up. Jim, the voice of reason, told me to forget the book and get those boys to our room for proper holding. Tired from the crying, they almost immediately went to sleep. Alex was sure to give me more smiles and some snuggling first, though.

I'm still working with them on the no nursing to sleep thing. There's lots of crying involved for naps, but it's all the angry type which is loud, but ok. We've also started them on vitamins for vitamin D. Zach makes a face but eats them. Alex cries and tries to spit them out. He'll also cough them in my face, so I'm covered in yellow goo. More tummy time is on my agenda, but I think I'm already at my quota for crying.

Wednesday night was also miserable. The boys were exhausted so we tried to put them to bed earlier. You'd get them to sleep, put them down, and their eyes would instantly pop open. Then they would start crying. After the 2nd attempt at putting them down, we couldn't find anything to calm them. Not even walking them around the house would help. Alex ended up crying himself to sleep in his crib. Once they finally passed out, Jim headed for some wine while I hit the ice cream pretty hard. We had aged about 10yrs in the last half hour.

So... Add to the list establishing a bedtime routine! Thursday I was supposed to go to a Mom's Night Out and Jim's mom was going to come over to help watch the boys. With what happened the day before, I didn't think it would be the best thing for the boys if I was gone for bedtime. Jim's mom still came over, though, and brought his sister and her son with her. It was nice having the company but I was still in my PJ's and hadn't found the time to shower yet - at 5:30pm. Luckily the boys were all about the grins and babbling, so they were distracted.

The bedtime routine is a work in progress. The idea is to get them calm and sleepy so the crying is minimal. Combined with the amount they spit up during the day, I thought a nightly bath might be a good option. They'll tolerate the bath but get upset once we take them out of the tub. Their hatred of clothes is well known, and it doesn't get better when you add in being wet and cold.

Today went fairly well. Alex has accepted that there is no more nap time nursing. Zach has not and cries every time. I've been trying to pay closer attention to when they should go down for a nap. According to the book, if you try to put them to sleep when they're just getting sleepy, there's less crying. Apparently if they're rubbing their eyes, they're already overtired. I look for that kind of staring off into the distance thing, then I take them to bed. This happens about 45min after they wake-up. That's not much time to change, feed, and play with them.

They've really started getting into their toys, especially any that rattle or have crunchy fabric. They'll grab the toy with both hands and try to stuff it in their mouth. Jim calls it Dino Chomp. They'll also wiggle and squeal with glee when they get excited. Zach was practicing his outside voice in the van tonight, while Alex is working on his yelling. Both boys have become expert grocery store babies. The last two trips have been cry free, even including the van ride.

I had to adjust the straps of Alex's car seat today. He's gotten taller and they needed moved to a new shoulder slot. I guess he has a longer torso than Zach since they're the same total length.

I have prints of the boys' 4mo pictures. I just need to meet up with everyone to pass them out. There wasn't a good (i.e. both babies smiling) shot of both of them, so I combined two individual pictures. That's what you get with one being grumpy.

Month 4, Day 7

Well, we discovered the reason they went through their 3-6mo outfits so fast (and they've moved into size 3 diapers). They grew 3.25 inches in two months! Wednesday was their 4mo check-up. Alex is 15lb 14oz and Zach is 15lb 4oz. They're now officially average height and weight babies, as compared to full term singletons!

The doctor's visit was a good one. He said the boys were doing remarkably well. The only thing he dinged us (well, me, really) for was not enough tummy time. They should be doing more like 15min per day, not 5min. So... I guess tummy time will start to follow every play mat session. He also recommended they start taking a multivitamin, mainly to be sure they get enough vitamin D. Unfortunately the drops taste really bad, to the point Alex even cried the first time. When I tried them on Zach, he coughed most of it back in my face. Mmmm, I love the smell of vitamin goo in the morning!

The main downside to the check-up was their booster shots. They got the same round as month 2, so two shots in each thigh plus a liquid they had to drink. Their reaction was worse this time. Their fever was a little higher (but not dangerous) and lasted longer. It was hard on our hearts when we would pick them up and they would whimper because their legs were sore. They sobbed for about 30min before falling asleep Wednesday night. Around 4am Alex woke up crying. I held him until his Tylenol kicked in. Their fevers didn't break until mid-way through the second night.

My family came to visit for the past week or so. My parents came down, followed by my sister for a few days. It's been really good watching them get to know the boys. The last time they saw them in person was the week after they were born. Needless to say they've changed a lot! They're pretty good at telling them apart already, though!

Jim's grandfather, Red, passed away this week. He had been battling cancer. He was a really wonderful person, and as Jim told me, the world is a bit dimmer without him in it. He got to see and hold the boys over the past few months and I'm grateful for that. I only wish they could have spent more time with him.

Chii-Wey finished their 4 month pictures and sent them our way. You can view all of them here (pw: jma&z). I was a lazy mom and only did one set out outfits. They were a little grumpy to begin with, but by the end I managed to coax a couple of smiles out of them. I also uploaded their month 3 and 4 candids, earning me a second worst mom award for not only being late with them, but also not taking many pictures because the camera was full. You can't tell, but I'm hanging my head in shame.

We spent a couple of hours at Fall for Greenville today. I'm hoping the boys will learn to like the new stroller but so far they prefer to be held via the baby carriers. My mom and dad wen with us and ended up pushing an empty stroller while we bounced babies down Main St. The event was pretty fun and we got a few "Oh, are those twins?" comments. I was standing in line for a sandwich and the couple in front of me was expecting twins, too. I was holding Zach most of the time, and his main focus seemed to be covering my shirt completely in drool. He reached 85% completion before falling asleep.

Like I mentioned in passing, the new stroller did finally come in. I really, really like it and it's crazy easy to push around. The boys enjoy it if the conditions are right. I've been able to walk them around the neighborhood for 45min at a time with no crying or fussiness. The grocery store didn't work out quite as well. There was much back arching and gnashing of gums by the second aisle.

They're getting better at tolerating things in general, though. Crying in their car seats is at an all time low. Our last Publix trip had zero crying and they loved looking at all of the pretty food on the shelves. I can entertain them, or as Jim calls it, Babytain them. They're just starting to smile at Peek-a-Boo, rather than giving me wide eyes of surprise when I suddenly appear from behind a burp cloth. Alex loves to reach for things, while Zach prefers to stare at them. Both like to taste whatever they can get their mouths on.

Month 4, aka The Big Update

Ahhhhh! How did I miss 3 weeks??? Where did the time go?

Most of that time the boys have been either getting sick, being sick, or slowly getting better. We still have a bunch of stuffy noses going around. For the most part they've taken it in stride but they've been having a harder time sleeping at night. Jim set up their humidifier to add a Vicks scent and that's helped some. Zach's been sicker than Alex. I've spent a number of nights just holding him while he slept, to help his breathing.

In developmental news, I think the boys went through a serious growth spurt. They are already stretching their 3-6mo outfits to their limits. We had to replace them with 6-9mo ones this week. I guess when Nina said they wouldn't be wearing them long, she wasn't kidding.

A couple of days ago the boys saw each other for the first time. We had just woken up from a nap and they were laying on our bed. Zach looked at Alex first, and started laughing and cooing. A few seconds later, Alex turned and did the same in return. They laid there for a few minutes, giggling at each other. It was really wonderful to watch. They're not constantly aware of each other, but kind of catch each other's eye and enjoy moments here and there together.

Tummy time has continued to be forced upon them and slowly they're lasting longer before crying. The record is Alex rolling over 3 times. He's also been trying to roll from his back to his belly but hasn't quite pulled it off. Zach prefers to move laterally. We'll put him down on the play mat or in his crib, and it's only a matter of time before he's turned 45 or even 180 degrees. He also managed to nearly pull the whole play mat down on top of himself by tipping it with his feet.

I don't see any signs of teeth coming in but chewing is going full force. They'll try to snag burp cloths when you're dabbing their faces. After his bath tonight, Alex grabbed the towel with both hands and went to town. They'll suck on toys, hands, and even Jim's arm. Their tongue thrust reflex keeps them from really getting much into their mouths, though. It's all surface gnawing and drooling.

We've had a number of adventures this month. The first was a mom's night out for me. Grandma Pat came over to help Jim watch the boys while I spent a couple of hours at a paint-you-own-pottery place. The boys now own a frame with the world's ugliest sheep on it. Things went well, with only a little fussiness before I came home.

This was the success that Jim needed to boost his confidence at watching them. When the Mother's of Multiples meeting came around, he decided to watch them solo while I went. The boys were sleeping when I left, but it was only their 30 min evening nap. Unfortunately after that, they spent the rest of the time crying. They wouldn't eat the bottles I pumped for them, nor would they settle down. Both wanted to be walked around, which is impossible to do by yourself. Jim tried everything but nothing would work. About 5 min before I got home, the boys passed out from exhaustion. I felt really, really bad. The boys don't hold grudges, though, and greeted Jim with giant smiles the next morning, just like always.

Mornings really are the best time with the boys. I'll hear them stirring around and go in. From their cribs I'll get big grins, then squinty eyes when I turn the light on. One will lay there and coo at his mobile while I change the other one. Jim will stop in to say good morning, garnering tons of grins and laughs. The boys will wiggle in delight when they see him coming. Then we'll all head downstairs. Jim will eat breakfast and make his coffee while we play on the mats.

The boys still sleep a lot, more than they're awake. They'll be up for 1.5hrs before taking a 2hr nap during the day. At night they've worked up to sleeping 3-4hrs at a time. That doesn't give us much time to do things during the day.

On Saturday we went to the Simpsonville park as part of a Mother's of Multiples playdate. The boys were missing a nap to be there and got fairly grumpy. At home, their grouchiness doesn't bother me, but it seems like when we're out, it really stresses me. I'm not sure what my problem is, but I need to stop getting like that. It doesn't help the boys, and it certainly doesn't make the trip pleasant for anyone else if I'm snapping orders.

We ran into the same problem at a friend's birthday, too, where I kept comparing our boys to the other baby there. The other baby is a month older and a lot calmer than ours. While Alex and Zach were demanding to be walked around, Eli just happily sat there in his car seat. Sure, the boys are known to sit in their bouncy chairs for 5 to 10 min, but not anywhere near as long as Eli did. I need to get over this idea that our boys will ever be anything other than what they are, which is energetic and cute.

Well, I have more to write but I'm going to call it a night here. Hopefully their 4 month pictures will be ready soon and I'll finish the mega update!