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!