Well, the diaper rash just wouldn't stop so we ended up at the pediatrician. Luckily the nurse didn't laugh me off the phone this time, particularly when I explained there were open sores and bleeding involved. Here's what we think happened, based on the doctor's thoughts and our ideas. We all had some questionable Mexican food one night. Jim and I both had upset stomachs the next day, as did the boys. While we recovered easily, their diaper rash sprouted a yeast infection. No amount of butt paste, cream, or salve will get rid of that. Once we started the anti-fungal treatments (per the doctor's recommendation) and got them on probiotics, there was an immediate improvement. Today there's barely even a red mark on Alex and Zach is totally back to normal.
The boys have discovered the kitchen cabinets. For the first couple of days they were happy just opening and closing the doors, but today Zach decided emptying it was also fun. We moved all of our cleaning supplies to an upper cabinet, so there's nothing that could hurt them. It's just a big mess if they pull out everything. We'll have locks on the doors by the end of the week. hehe We bought them some little pots and pans, so they sit on the floor banging those while I prepare their food. Alex likes to lick the mini spatula.
The boys have gone for a week without nursing at all. I expected to be sore the first few days but really didn't have a problem. Until now. It's taken 6 days but OUCH! Really body, you didn't get the message? I thought I was pretty clear on the whole milk production thing... I tried the widely touted cabbage leaves remedy. Other than smelling like cabbage, it hasn't done anything. A hot shower message just made it worse. I tried relieving a little of the pressure myself but failed miserably. Desperate, I asked the boys for some help. Zach was closest, so I grabbed him and put him in the nursing position. He looked at me like "You've got to be kidding. I don't know how to work this." and struggled to escape my clutches. Meanwhile Alex saw what was up and was yelling, as if to say "PICK ME!!! PICK ME!!!" So I did. He'd probably still be nursing if it was up to him. There were many tears once he realized it was just a little snack. It helped, though, at least for a little while.
Since they've been 99.99% breast feeding free for a week, I decided to go the next step and have them start sleeping in their cribs for naps. Saying they were not happy would be an understatement. There was much screaming and kicking the walls in anger. They normally sleep anywhere from 2-4hrs a day in naps. Today it was about 1hr total. It's something they're going to have to get used to, and it's not going to be a happy transition.
Their food tastes are shifting again I think. They will eat most any green veggie, including spinach and collard greens, but chicken is spit out after a few bites. Fruit is evil, except for the banana in their Cheerios for breakfast (Alex likes blueberries, too). They won't eat anything in a pouch now. I might need to try ham or something to be sure they're getting enough iron. Beef seems like it's still too hard to chew. They also seem to love pizza, which isn't surprising if you know their daddy. They each ate a piece and a half, plus black olives and crackers.
They really like sandwiches, especially peanut butter/banana and grilled cheese. They'll also chomp tuna or chicken salad ones. I make the sandwich like normal then pinch off bites for them. Mashed up potato salad gets eaten, too. They used to like quesadillas but hate flour tortillas now. Any fork-smashed beans are accepted. Any whole beans, whole peas, or too lumpy mashed potatoes are rejected.
Both boys have started playing Marco Polo with me. One will make a sort of grunt and I'll grunt back. They'll experiment with different sounds and I'll mimic them in response. They think it's hilarious, like the funniest conversation they've ever heard. Sometimes I can have them both going at the same time. I'm hoping eventually they'll start grunting at each other.
I got Zach to take a few steps by himself this week. He's used to holding onto his school bus or other push toy, so I had him hold a stick with both hands. I think it made it less scary and he was laughing the whole time. I tried to make it a game.
Alex has no interest in trying to walk by himself right now. It seems like to me that he's afraid of falling. If he's cruising, he'll ask me to help him sit down, rather than just plopping down like Zach. If he at all feels unsteady, he cries. Alex also will only try something once before deciding it's too hard and wanting you to help him. If you don't help, he bursts into tears. I don't want to enable him, but I also don't know how you explain to him that he needs to try again. I've tried, and he'll do like a half-hearted, feeble attempt then look at me like "I told you so."
The boys are so mobile now that it's hard separating them. They're like magnets, if magnets had teeth and liked to bite each other. Zach has a long red scratch on his forehead where Alex scraped him with his front teeth while I was putting the laundry in the dryer. There are few days where one boy doesn't end up with bite marks on his fingers. They're really curious about teeth and want to touch their brother's. They understand "No bite!" but I still get stealth bit sometimes.
The bouncy chairs are nearing the end of their usefulness. Zach's big enough he can tip his over, so I've had to start sticking one end under the door. He's going to have to rip it off in order to fall now. Long term we need to baby proof the bathroom then have one on the floor with some toys while the other is in the play yard. Mesh netting between them should keep the bloodshed to a minimum while I get a shower.
Don't misunderstand me, though. They don't hate each other, or wish the other boy harm. It's the exact opposite. They are really, really into each other and find their brother fascinating. They just don't have the skill set to express their affection. If I'm holding them and they see each other, they do the cutest coo/laugh back and forth. It's really obvious how much they love each other.
6.28.2010
6.20.2010
0
Year 1, Week 2
Even though we didn't do much this week, it was still pretty busy. We did a Wal-Mart run on Tuesday. Back before kids, and before the crowds of Myrtle Beach, I loved that store and pretty much did all of my shopping there. Now I only go there if it has the potential of saving me 3 or more stops if I went somewhere else, like Target/Babie R Us/Publix. I say potential because their selection has really gone down and rarely does it seem like they have everything I want. It's always so crowded, and there's no twins-friendly shopping carts. Everyone looks at us like we're freaks, and the lines are long. On top of that, ours is in the middle of doing a total store remodeling, so employees are carting around pallets of goods and shelving.
Anyways, we go with me pushing a cart with one hand and pulling the boys in the wagon with the other. I can't even tell you how many times we got cut off by someone in a hurry, I guess trying to grab that last $5 watermelon or whatever. Every aisle was packed and we had to wait in line to just get to the other end. Needless to say, the boys weren't too happy with the situation, especially Alex. A screaming boy really added to the ambiance, let me tell you!
We're still fighting diaper rash. I did some lactose intolerance research and they recommend going dairy free for two weeks to see if it clears up. This won't be quite as bad as that, since they do fine with yogurt and cheese. I just need to find a milk substitute that's unsweetened and edible on cereal. Alex's rash was especially bad today, with him bleeding and unable to sit in the tub for a bath. I really hope milk is the cause, because otherwise I don't know what else has changed.
The boys still love the school buses but prefer to each push one now. They're also crazy about a Cars Shake and Go car. You shake it and put it down. It'll say something then take off. Both of them can make it cruise across the room, but they also like to just push it around. The strangest thing (at least to me) is that they always push it forward, like they know which is the front. The have other vehicles and always push them forward, too. Jim thinks it's because most of the toys have faces and that's how they can tell. It just amazes me. They're into anything with wheels.
We took the boys to the pool for the first time. I got them some inflatable mesh things that they could sit in. We did the lazy river and the boys had a blast. Their little heads were turning every which way, trying to watch all of the people. The boys were like ducks, calm on the surface and madly kicking underneath. hehe
We eliminated all nursing before naps this week. Instead I would give them some whole milk before we went upstairs. That seemed to work alright, although they tend to wake up more and try to get me to nurse them mid-nap. So now the only breast feeding is right before bed for about 10min. Tonight Zach got bored and bit me, so maybe it's time for that to go, too.
Their sleeping has been doing better. For a few nights now Alex has gone from 8pm to 4am without waking up. Zach has woken up due to what seemed like bad dreams a few times. Unfortunately, once 5am rolls around, neither boy will stop crying until I take them into bed with me. Then they'll go back to sleep until about 6:30am when Jim gets up for work. I've tried just leaving them in the cribs, but they'll cry for over 30min without letting up.
What I really need to do is bite the bullet and not go in at all when they wake-up at night (per the pediatrician), but it's hard. My mind jumps to all of these wild ideas of what's going on in there that's making them cry, or I project my own childhood fears on them (I was really, really scared of the dark). It also sucks for Jim to spend the last 1.5hrs of sleep time listening to screaming in stereo. Blargh! Why can't they just sleep all night on their own?!
Zach has started to say "Uh Oh!" when he drops food on the floor for the cats. Jim tries to explain that you should only say that if it really was an accident. Alex still hasn't shown much interest in trying to repeat anything we say. Instead, he'll say "Da da da da da" and laugh.
Both boys have started to show interest in the fork or spoon I feed them with. They'll grab it and examine it, which means staring at it while poking it with a finger. If it's a fork, I'll stick some food on the end while they're holding it and they're able to feed themselves a bite. Of course, when I try to take it away, the tears start, so meals take 3 forks to finish.
Jim celebrated his 2nd Father's Day this weekend. The boys and I got him a new GPS and an Xbox game. I had read in one of the Babycenter weekly things that the boys might enjoy scribbling with crayons now, so I attempted to get them to write Jim a card. Alex spent the whole time rolling his crayon across the floor and chasing it. Zach immediately stuck one end in his mouth and bit it off. Um, I guess we'll try that again later.
Anyways, we go with me pushing a cart with one hand and pulling the boys in the wagon with the other. I can't even tell you how many times we got cut off by someone in a hurry, I guess trying to grab that last $5 watermelon or whatever. Every aisle was packed and we had to wait in line to just get to the other end. Needless to say, the boys weren't too happy with the situation, especially Alex. A screaming boy really added to the ambiance, let me tell you!
We're still fighting diaper rash. I did some lactose intolerance research and they recommend going dairy free for two weeks to see if it clears up. This won't be quite as bad as that, since they do fine with yogurt and cheese. I just need to find a milk substitute that's unsweetened and edible on cereal. Alex's rash was especially bad today, with him bleeding and unable to sit in the tub for a bath. I really hope milk is the cause, because otherwise I don't know what else has changed.
The boys still love the school buses but prefer to each push one now. They're also crazy about a Cars Shake and Go car. You shake it and put it down. It'll say something then take off. Both of them can make it cruise across the room, but they also like to just push it around. The strangest thing (at least to me) is that they always push it forward, like they know which is the front. The have other vehicles and always push them forward, too. Jim thinks it's because most of the toys have faces and that's how they can tell. It just amazes me. They're into anything with wheels.
We took the boys to the pool for the first time. I got them some inflatable mesh things that they could sit in. We did the lazy river and the boys had a blast. Their little heads were turning every which way, trying to watch all of the people. The boys were like ducks, calm on the surface and madly kicking underneath. hehe
We eliminated all nursing before naps this week. Instead I would give them some whole milk before we went upstairs. That seemed to work alright, although they tend to wake up more and try to get me to nurse them mid-nap. So now the only breast feeding is right before bed for about 10min. Tonight Zach got bored and bit me, so maybe it's time for that to go, too.
Their sleeping has been doing better. For a few nights now Alex has gone from 8pm to 4am without waking up. Zach has woken up due to what seemed like bad dreams a few times. Unfortunately, once 5am rolls around, neither boy will stop crying until I take them into bed with me. Then they'll go back to sleep until about 6:30am when Jim gets up for work. I've tried just leaving them in the cribs, but they'll cry for over 30min without letting up.
What I really need to do is bite the bullet and not go in at all when they wake-up at night (per the pediatrician), but it's hard. My mind jumps to all of these wild ideas of what's going on in there that's making them cry, or I project my own childhood fears on them (I was really, really scared of the dark). It also sucks for Jim to spend the last 1.5hrs of sleep time listening to screaming in stereo. Blargh! Why can't they just sleep all night on their own?!
Zach has started to say "Uh Oh!" when he drops food on the floor for the cats. Jim tries to explain that you should only say that if it really was an accident. Alex still hasn't shown much interest in trying to repeat anything we say. Instead, he'll say "Da da da da da" and laugh.
Both boys have started to show interest in the fork or spoon I feed them with. They'll grab it and examine it, which means staring at it while poking it with a finger. If it's a fork, I'll stick some food on the end while they're holding it and they're able to feed themselves a bite. Of course, when I try to take it away, the tears start, so meals take 3 forks to finish.
Jim celebrated his 2nd Father's Day this weekend. The boys and I got him a new GPS and an Xbox game. I had read in one of the Babycenter weekly things that the boys might enjoy scribbling with crayons now, so I attempted to get them to write Jim a card. Alex spent the whole time rolling his crayon across the floor and chasing it. Zach immediately stuck one end in his mouth and bit it off. Um, I guess we'll try that again later.
6.17.2010
0
Pictures
I've uploaded a ton of pictures to the boys' website (pw: jma&z), including 11 month candids, 12 month candids, and a bunch of birthday photos. Enjoy!
6.14.2010
0
Birthday Party and Year 1, Week 1
I kind of got off on this whole "A day in the life of the boys" tangent in the last post, which wasn't really my plan. There's stuff to be covered and details to be discussed!
The week leading up to the boys' first birthday party were pretty hectic. Actually, the month leading up to it was busy. We got a canopy for the back patio and had a play set installed. Jim worked on the yard (although it couldn't really be saved) while I planned the menu and worked on ideas for their cakes.
Out of everything, the cakes took up the most time by far. I literally had been working on them for months, trying to decide what kind - cupcakes or regular - what style, flavor, etc. I even made demo cupcakes, to be sure I knew what I was doing and what I was getting into. In the end I made their barn-shaped cakes and Publix helped with the green field cake for everyone else. What started as farm animal cupcakes morphed into melted candy animal figures, then into the final ceramic animals. I don't know why the cakes were so important to me. Weird.
The decorations turned out better than I expected, with the help of my Mom, Dad, and Lucy. The fill-your-own-balloons helium tank was 100% the right call, as were the fun streamers.
We had chicken fingers, fruit salad, macaroni salad, chips and veggies with dip, and fries for lunch. The beverages were iced tea, homemade lemonade, and mint orange infused water. I bought what I could premade from Publix and my Mom and Lucy helped with the rest. The parting gifts to the kids were bath books, except for Thomas and Benjamin who got something more age-appropriate.
I was pretty busy wrangling the boys, or trying to get the fries to cook, so I only got glimpses of the party but I think everyone had a good time and there were enough surfaces to eat and visit. The boys were starving by the time noon rolled around so we plopped them in their seats. They went to town on the chicken but spit out every piece of macaroni salad. They just don't like pasta.
After lunch they did a little socializing with everyone. Around 1:30pm we sang Happy Birthday and let the boys at their barn cakes. They were excited for a split second until they got frosting on their hands. Apparently it wasn't a good sensation and they just couldn't get past it. We also discovered that they don't like cake and spit it out, even when we tried again the next day. Really red icing for the cakes wasn't the best idea, either, and their little hands were stained pink for a few days.
I think overall, besides the icing trauma, the boys had a good time. They were wiped out for their afternoon nap and slept a solid 2hrs. hehe
Wednesday the boys had their 12 month check-up. Zach weighed 21.56lb (32nd percentile, down from 45th) and was 29in long (26th percentile, down from 47th). Alex weighed 21.63lb (33rd percentile, down from 34th) and was 29.5in long (42nd percentile, down from 65th). Looking at them, I really think they're working towards a growth spurt, so I'm not too worried about the percentiles. Plus they're crazy mobile now and burning the highest number of calories they ever have.
We talked to the doctor about how they're not crawling or sitting up on their own yet. Instead they're focused on scooting and cruising. We put the boys on the floor and gave the doctor a demonstration of both. He wasn't concerned since they are moving and have good muscle tone. They are physically able to do those things and just don't know it. If the boys haven't learned to crawl or, more likely, walk in the next two months, the doctor will get us a physical therapy evaluation appointment.
Watching what the boys have been doing over the past week, I doubt any PT will be needed. Their favorite thing right now is to play school bus. My parents got them a ride-on school bus toy that also can be pushed from behind. Alex loves to ride on the bus while Zach pushes it. We switch them so everyone gets a turn, but you can tell which they prefer. They'll circle the house forever while one of us steers it for them. Zach can push it pretty fast, too, but gets sidetracked looking around. Alex will get impatient and start moving it forward with his feet.
The scooting has gone into high gear, too. In a blink of an eye, they've gone from one end of the house to the other. I was brushing my teeth and looked down to see both of them scooting into the bathroom after me. They think the springy doorstops are fun and sproing them whenever they get the chance.
We also talked to the doctor about weaning the boys from breast feeding. The magical bonding experience has been over for a while and after a year, I'd like my body back. He recommended just going cold turkey at night (meaning don't even go in until morning), then slowly dropping the daytime feedings. They went their first night without milk last night, but I still went in to comfort them when they woke up. I also cut their morning feeding short due to pain. I don't really know what's causing it (I had plenty of milk) but Zach hurts a lot more than Alex, and when I pull him off, there's red teeth indents. I guess that's some additional motivation for us to stop.
They're both drinking a lot of whole milk now from a straw cup. They finished a half gallon last week, plus most of one of those big containers of yogurt. They've been getting some diaper rash, though, and I'm worried it might be dairy related. I'm going to try a milk free day tomorrow (Alex loves water more anyways) and see if that clears things up.
We went to Carter's today to get the boys 18mo pajamas. The 12mo ones were getting waaay too short. It was like doing origami to get their feet in and their wrists were sticking out about an inch. hehe While I was there I got them a bunch of new shorts and a couple of t-shirts.
I've ordered a gate to help block off the downstairs bathroom, stairs, dinning room, and office. That will essentially leave the other half of the house available to the boys. I think it will make things a lot easier for me since any non-kid friendly things (like all of the cats' stuff) will be out of reach and the boys won't be too far out of my sight. In an ideal world we would be able to kid-proof all of the 1st floor but I just don't see that happening. I also got a gate for the top of the stairs and netting for the railing so they can scoot around on the 2nd floor without too much issue. Right now I have to close them in rooms to grab something from the laundry room, which freaks them out.
This whole standing and cruising thing is pretty exciting, and I'm looking forward to when they can walk. Carrying +40lbs of baby around all of the time gets old, although this is the nicest my arms have looked ever!
The week leading up to the boys' first birthday party were pretty hectic. Actually, the month leading up to it was busy. We got a canopy for the back patio and had a play set installed. Jim worked on the yard (although it couldn't really be saved) while I planned the menu and worked on ideas for their cakes.
Out of everything, the cakes took up the most time by far. I literally had been working on them for months, trying to decide what kind - cupcakes or regular - what style, flavor, etc. I even made demo cupcakes, to be sure I knew what I was doing and what I was getting into. In the end I made their barn-shaped cakes and Publix helped with the green field cake for everyone else. What started as farm animal cupcakes morphed into melted candy animal figures, then into the final ceramic animals. I don't know why the cakes were so important to me. Weird.
The decorations turned out better than I expected, with the help of my Mom, Dad, and Lucy. The fill-your-own-balloons helium tank was 100% the right call, as were the fun streamers.
We had chicken fingers, fruit salad, macaroni salad, chips and veggies with dip, and fries for lunch. The beverages were iced tea, homemade lemonade, and mint orange infused water. I bought what I could premade from Publix and my Mom and Lucy helped with the rest. The parting gifts to the kids were bath books, except for Thomas and Benjamin who got something more age-appropriate.
I was pretty busy wrangling the boys, or trying to get the fries to cook, so I only got glimpses of the party but I think everyone had a good time and there were enough surfaces to eat and visit. The boys were starving by the time noon rolled around so we plopped them in their seats. They went to town on the chicken but spit out every piece of macaroni salad. They just don't like pasta.
After lunch they did a little socializing with everyone. Around 1:30pm we sang Happy Birthday and let the boys at their barn cakes. They were excited for a split second until they got frosting on their hands. Apparently it wasn't a good sensation and they just couldn't get past it. We also discovered that they don't like cake and spit it out, even when we tried again the next day. Really red icing for the cakes wasn't the best idea, either, and their little hands were stained pink for a few days.
I think overall, besides the icing trauma, the boys had a good time. They were wiped out for their afternoon nap and slept a solid 2hrs. hehe
Wednesday the boys had their 12 month check-up. Zach weighed 21.56lb (32nd percentile, down from 45th) and was 29in long (26th percentile, down from 47th). Alex weighed 21.63lb (33rd percentile, down from 34th) and was 29.5in long (42nd percentile, down from 65th). Looking at them, I really think they're working towards a growth spurt, so I'm not too worried about the percentiles. Plus they're crazy mobile now and burning the highest number of calories they ever have.
We talked to the doctor about how they're not crawling or sitting up on their own yet. Instead they're focused on scooting and cruising. We put the boys on the floor and gave the doctor a demonstration of both. He wasn't concerned since they are moving and have good muscle tone. They are physically able to do those things and just don't know it. If the boys haven't learned to crawl or, more likely, walk in the next two months, the doctor will get us a physical therapy evaluation appointment.
Watching what the boys have been doing over the past week, I doubt any PT will be needed. Their favorite thing right now is to play school bus. My parents got them a ride-on school bus toy that also can be pushed from behind. Alex loves to ride on the bus while Zach pushes it. We switch them so everyone gets a turn, but you can tell which they prefer. They'll circle the house forever while one of us steers it for them. Zach can push it pretty fast, too, but gets sidetracked looking around. Alex will get impatient and start moving it forward with his feet.
The scooting has gone into high gear, too. In a blink of an eye, they've gone from one end of the house to the other. I was brushing my teeth and looked down to see both of them scooting into the bathroom after me. They think the springy doorstops are fun and sproing them whenever they get the chance.
We also talked to the doctor about weaning the boys from breast feeding. The magical bonding experience has been over for a while and after a year, I'd like my body back. He recommended just going cold turkey at night (meaning don't even go in until morning), then slowly dropping the daytime feedings. They went their first night without milk last night, but I still went in to comfort them when they woke up. I also cut their morning feeding short due to pain. I don't really know what's causing it (I had plenty of milk) but Zach hurts a lot more than Alex, and when I pull him off, there's red teeth indents. I guess that's some additional motivation for us to stop.
They're both drinking a lot of whole milk now from a straw cup. They finished a half gallon last week, plus most of one of those big containers of yogurt. They've been getting some diaper rash, though, and I'm worried it might be dairy related. I'm going to try a milk free day tomorrow (Alex loves water more anyways) and see if that clears things up.
We went to Carter's today to get the boys 18mo pajamas. The 12mo ones were getting waaay too short. It was like doing origami to get their feet in and their wrists were sticking out about an inch. hehe While I was there I got them a bunch of new shorts and a couple of t-shirts.
I've ordered a gate to help block off the downstairs bathroom, stairs, dinning room, and office. That will essentially leave the other half of the house available to the boys. I think it will make things a lot easier for me since any non-kid friendly things (like all of the cats' stuff) will be out of reach and the boys won't be too far out of my sight. In an ideal world we would be able to kid-proof all of the 1st floor but I just don't see that happening. I also got a gate for the top of the stairs and netting for the railing so they can scoot around on the 2nd floor without too much issue. Right now I have to close them in rooms to grab something from the laundry room, which freaks them out.
This whole standing and cruising thing is pretty exciting, and I'm looking forward to when they can walk. Carrying +40lbs of baby around all of the time gets old, although this is the nicest my arms have looked ever!
6.13.2010
0
Year 1 is Done!
Unlike most of my other posts, you're not going to see any whining and teary eyes here. Oh sure, it's a bit scary to think that the boys are no longer babies but these mysterious "toddlers". And yes, I do miss them being small (for the 30sec that they were). But right at this very moment Alex and Zach are by far the most fun and enjoyable they've ever been.
I enjoy waking up to their faces crying at me to get them out of bed every morning, and how as soon as I do, they switch to happy grins. Then the excited arm flapping starts when they realize we're going to pounce on Daddy until he wakes up. While Jim's getting his shower, the three of us snuggle in bed together. Zach likes to roll onto his tummy and check on the alarm clocks while Alex sits up and wrestles with the covers.
Then we all go downstairs for breakfast. The boys have been eating rasinless bran cereal with whole milk, some banana, yogurt, and bites of whatever I'm eating. Drinking from straws is totally the cool thing to do and the boys take turns seeing who can down the most milk. Then it's off to work with Daddy, sometimes with tears and upset boys, but we all have to get our day started.
If we have no where to be, the three of us will usually lounge around in our jammies until after lunch. They're still taking two naps a day, usually from 9am-11am and 3pm-5pm, give or take 30min-1hr. On Monday's the cleaning people come, so we get our first nap then meet Daddy for lunch. This ensures the boys avoid the scary vacuuming. The cats aren't so lucky. We'll normally try to multi-task while we're out and get in a shopping trip at Whole Foods or Babies R Us. Then it's home to meet J and Ana for a playdate (they're in town every Monday for swim lessons).
After a lot of "No, don't pull her hair!" and "Please, don't slap her!" Ana escapes mostly unscathed and we go down for second nap. Once we're well rested, it's time for a quick snack and Daddy to be home. You should see them when they hear Jim come in the door. I've witnessed everything from them completely bursting into tears of joy, to Zach falling over from too much excitement, to Alex pushing his brother out of his way to get to Jim. Either way, it's been a long time since Jim hasn't had to hold both of them the moment he's inside.
While some serious guy time is happening in the living room, I'll start dinner. The boys become instantly famished between 5:30pm and 6pm, so I'm racing against the clock. I normally start them off with bread, then their main course (which is hopefully a meat, starch, and 2 veggies), black olives, and cheese puffs/cheese duck crackers. Lately refried beans have been my go-to since the boys LOVE them and they mask just about any veggie. One night they had refried beans mixed with lima beans and peas. I also do something similar with mashed potatoes.
After dinner we go out back and do a little swinging. Zach likes the baby swing but Alex only has fun if he's swinging on my lap. The it's time for our evening wagon ride. Other than when they're sleeping, this is about the only time during the day that the boys are silent. They're so busy looking around that you won't hear a peep. We walk to the end of the houses (turning around before the vacant lots) and go down every cul-du-sac. Most nights the grey neighbor cat, Killian, will come out and meet us on the sidewalk for some petting. He has a boy of his own so tail pulling and fur grabbing don't even phase him. Alex and Zach get so excited to see him.
Then it's home (usually met with lots of complaining) and upstairs to bed. I hold them both in the glider while Jim gets their PJ's ready in their cribs. Then he changes one boy while I brush the teeth of the other. We swap babies and then all settle in for story time. The boys like to sit in Jim's lap, so I usually end up holding the book and turning the pages while Jim reads. For whatever reason, we always dress Alex in Zach's crib and visa versa. I don't know why. Then it's off to our bed for night night milk, some burping, and they drift off in their own cribs.
I enjoy waking up to their faces crying at me to get them out of bed every morning, and how as soon as I do, they switch to happy grins. Then the excited arm flapping starts when they realize we're going to pounce on Daddy until he wakes up. While Jim's getting his shower, the three of us snuggle in bed together. Zach likes to roll onto his tummy and check on the alarm clocks while Alex sits up and wrestles with the covers.
Then we all go downstairs for breakfast. The boys have been eating rasinless bran cereal with whole milk, some banana, yogurt, and bites of whatever I'm eating. Drinking from straws is totally the cool thing to do and the boys take turns seeing who can down the most milk. Then it's off to work with Daddy, sometimes with tears and upset boys, but we all have to get our day started.
If we have no where to be, the three of us will usually lounge around in our jammies until after lunch. They're still taking two naps a day, usually from 9am-11am and 3pm-5pm, give or take 30min-1hr. On Monday's the cleaning people come, so we get our first nap then meet Daddy for lunch. This ensures the boys avoid the scary vacuuming. The cats aren't so lucky. We'll normally try to multi-task while we're out and get in a shopping trip at Whole Foods or Babies R Us. Then it's home to meet J and Ana for a playdate (they're in town every Monday for swim lessons).
After a lot of "No, don't pull her hair!" and "Please, don't slap her!" Ana escapes mostly unscathed and we go down for second nap. Once we're well rested, it's time for a quick snack and Daddy to be home. You should see them when they hear Jim come in the door. I've witnessed everything from them completely bursting into tears of joy, to Zach falling over from too much excitement, to Alex pushing his brother out of his way to get to Jim. Either way, it's been a long time since Jim hasn't had to hold both of them the moment he's inside.
While some serious guy time is happening in the living room, I'll start dinner. The boys become instantly famished between 5:30pm and 6pm, so I'm racing against the clock. I normally start them off with bread, then their main course (which is hopefully a meat, starch, and 2 veggies), black olives, and cheese puffs/cheese duck crackers. Lately refried beans have been my go-to since the boys LOVE them and they mask just about any veggie. One night they had refried beans mixed with lima beans and peas. I also do something similar with mashed potatoes.
After dinner we go out back and do a little swinging. Zach likes the baby swing but Alex only has fun if he's swinging on my lap. The it's time for our evening wagon ride. Other than when they're sleeping, this is about the only time during the day that the boys are silent. They're so busy looking around that you won't hear a peep. We walk to the end of the houses (turning around before the vacant lots) and go down every cul-du-sac. Most nights the grey neighbor cat, Killian, will come out and meet us on the sidewalk for some petting. He has a boy of his own so tail pulling and fur grabbing don't even phase him. Alex and Zach get so excited to see him.
Then it's home (usually met with lots of complaining) and upstairs to bed. I hold them both in the glider while Jim gets their PJ's ready in their cribs. Then he changes one boy while I brush the teeth of the other. We swap babies and then all settle in for story time. The boys like to sit in Jim's lap, so I usually end up holding the book and turning the pages while Jim reads. For whatever reason, we always dress Alex in Zach's crib and visa versa. I don't know why. Then it's off to our bed for night night milk, some burping, and they drift off in their own cribs.
5.30.2010
0
Month 11, Week 3 & 4
The boys have been hard at work on honing new skills. Zach is now a master at pulling up and doing his leg/behind scoot maneuver. He can go from sitting to standing using just about anything - my leg, the wagon, the couch, etc. His scooting might not be the most efficient way to get around but he doesn't have a problem going from the play room to the living room and back again after a ball.
Alex is getting really good at cruising. He'll take my hands and we'll go for walks around the house. When he reaches where he wants to go, he'll plop down and start playing. He prefers to be in near constant motion when standing, so he'll cruise on me or Zach to get around any obstacle. With both boys I've been playing Up and Down, where they'll crouch down and I'll say "Down!" and when they stand back up I'll say "Up!" They think it's hilarious. They've gotten to the point where I can say "Down!" and they'll crouch.
Zach has started trying to mimic what we say. The first time I noticed was after I said "Ut oh!" and he replied "Uh Oh!" We've been working on "Mommy" and I get "Nomma" in response. I tried the same thing with Alex but instead of "Mommy" I got "Dada!" nearly shouted back. hehe
Zach has all 8 teeth poked through (4 top/4 bottom), while Alex has been working on his top ones. He has numbers 8, 7, and 10 in and you can see the beginning of number 9. So, his pattern of not following the rules has continued. He has this gap on the top because he hasn't gotten his front left tooth in.
Also this week the boys have discovered their nose and that they can put their finger in it. They're not actually picking it but seem to thing it's something fun to do. The boys have learned that pictures in books look like real things. They have a book of animals that I read to them some times. They don't show any interest in the pictures until we get to the one of the orange cat. They'll both reach out to pat it and they don't want to leave the page. We also have a grey cat down the street that will come out to meet them when we take walks in the evening. Both boys have managed to grab his ears and tail but he doesn't seem to care.
I took the boys over to our friend J's house this week and they played with her 10mo daughter, Ana. We ate lunch then went swimming in their kiddie pool. Both Zach and Alex went to town splashing, while Ana concentrated more on the toys. They live on a farm, so the horses and dogs watched the kids play. The boys had SO much fun cruising around on all of their furniture. At one point Zach started running his hands down their air return grate. It made this washboard-type noise that Zach loved. Alex joined in with some bells. All we need to do is teach Ana to blow on a jug and we'd have a nice country band going.
Another development this week is Zach is scared of anyone that isn't me or Jim. It started when our house cleaners came before we were ready to head out. We normally leave since the boys are scared of the vacuum. Well, the cleaners came in and Zach was so scared he couldn't move. He just cried and cried, with his little body shaking. I had to peel him off the train table and hold him. A few days later J and Ana came by. Now, we see them about twice to three times a week. Both boys will go to J and normally get excited to see them. Well, this time Zach was petrified. I picked him up and held him until he realized J wasn't going to do anything to him. Then he was back to his normal self, laughing and playing.
I'm not sure what this is going to mean for their birthday party coming up. We witnessed sort of thing about 3 more times during the week, so I don't think it's a fluke. The worst was when a former co-worker came over with her little girl, Amy. Zach burst into tears, which startled Amy and made her cry. Alex then got upset that Amy was upset. In a matter of a few seconds we had three babies bawling uncontrollably. This was Amy's first play date ever, so I felt kind of bad that we started out on a bad foot.
It hasn't helped their moods any that I'm trying to reduce the amount of breast feeding they're doing. I would like them to stop altogether within the next month, but they've shown no signs of stopping on their own. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. They were getting pushier and wanting more than they used to. They expected milk before, during, and after every nap, plus about 3 other times during the day, before bed, and about 5 times during the night. If I didn't move fast enough, they would help themselves. I was getting Alex into position when Zach pulled himself over, lifted up my shirt, and latched on. Talk about making me feel like a dairy cow...
So we're down to 2 milk sessions during the day, one before each nap, and about 3 during the night. They seem to be adjusting well. Neither even asked for milk during their naps today (day 3). The first day I tried it, they wouldn't go back to sleep after they wanted milk during their naps, so they only slept 30min instead of 1.5hrs. Their eating at breakfast, lunch, and dinner has really picked up, too. They're actually eating, instead of nibbling and throwing most of it on the floor. We've been giving them water whenever they want it, and whole milk with meals. Zach likes milk but Alex doesn't, so he gets water most of the time. If they start getting a little cranky in the afternoon I'll give them a snack.
Both boys are getting pretty good at drinking out of straws. I think I'm going to get them some straw sippy cups so they can have a drink whenever they want it. I'm most worried about dehydration as we wean them off breast milk since they're not used to relying on water or cows milk.
We tried some new foods this week - baked beans, fruit smoothies, cheese crackers with peanut butter, tomato and cheese sandwiches, and some new fruit/veggie pouches. We're going through a phase where Zach will eat just about anything but Alex is acting picky. Usually if I make him try something a couple of times he'll eat it, though. He still doesn't know how to spit things out, so I use that to my advantage.
I'm looking forward to their birthday party. I hope the boys have fun. Jim's worried about them not diving into their little cakes, but I would be surprised if they didn't. It seems like their hands are into just about everything now.
Alex is getting really good at cruising. He'll take my hands and we'll go for walks around the house. When he reaches where he wants to go, he'll plop down and start playing. He prefers to be in near constant motion when standing, so he'll cruise on me or Zach to get around any obstacle. With both boys I've been playing Up and Down, where they'll crouch down and I'll say "Down!" and when they stand back up I'll say "Up!" They think it's hilarious. They've gotten to the point where I can say "Down!" and they'll crouch.
Zach has started trying to mimic what we say. The first time I noticed was after I said "Ut oh!" and he replied "Uh Oh!" We've been working on "Mommy" and I get "Nomma" in response. I tried the same thing with Alex but instead of "Mommy" I got "Dada!" nearly shouted back. hehe
Zach has all 8 teeth poked through (4 top/4 bottom), while Alex has been working on his top ones. He has numbers 8, 7, and 10 in and you can see the beginning of number 9. So, his pattern of not following the rules has continued. He has this gap on the top because he hasn't gotten his front left tooth in.
Also this week the boys have discovered their nose and that they can put their finger in it. They're not actually picking it but seem to thing it's something fun to do. The boys have learned that pictures in books look like real things. They have a book of animals that I read to them some times. They don't show any interest in the pictures until we get to the one of the orange cat. They'll both reach out to pat it and they don't want to leave the page. We also have a grey cat down the street that will come out to meet them when we take walks in the evening. Both boys have managed to grab his ears and tail but he doesn't seem to care.
I took the boys over to our friend J's house this week and they played with her 10mo daughter, Ana. We ate lunch then went swimming in their kiddie pool. Both Zach and Alex went to town splashing, while Ana concentrated more on the toys. They live on a farm, so the horses and dogs watched the kids play. The boys had SO much fun cruising around on all of their furniture. At one point Zach started running his hands down their air return grate. It made this washboard-type noise that Zach loved. Alex joined in with some bells. All we need to do is teach Ana to blow on a jug and we'd have a nice country band going.
Another development this week is Zach is scared of anyone that isn't me or Jim. It started when our house cleaners came before we were ready to head out. We normally leave since the boys are scared of the vacuum. Well, the cleaners came in and Zach was so scared he couldn't move. He just cried and cried, with his little body shaking. I had to peel him off the train table and hold him. A few days later J and Ana came by. Now, we see them about twice to three times a week. Both boys will go to J and normally get excited to see them. Well, this time Zach was petrified. I picked him up and held him until he realized J wasn't going to do anything to him. Then he was back to his normal self, laughing and playing.
I'm not sure what this is going to mean for their birthday party coming up. We witnessed sort of thing about 3 more times during the week, so I don't think it's a fluke. The worst was when a former co-worker came over with her little girl, Amy. Zach burst into tears, which startled Amy and made her cry. Alex then got upset that Amy was upset. In a matter of a few seconds we had three babies bawling uncontrollably. This was Amy's first play date ever, so I felt kind of bad that we started out on a bad foot.
It hasn't helped their moods any that I'm trying to reduce the amount of breast feeding they're doing. I would like them to stop altogether within the next month, but they've shown no signs of stopping on their own. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. They were getting pushier and wanting more than they used to. They expected milk before, during, and after every nap, plus about 3 other times during the day, before bed, and about 5 times during the night. If I didn't move fast enough, they would help themselves. I was getting Alex into position when Zach pulled himself over, lifted up my shirt, and latched on. Talk about making me feel like a dairy cow...
So we're down to 2 milk sessions during the day, one before each nap, and about 3 during the night. They seem to be adjusting well. Neither even asked for milk during their naps today (day 3). The first day I tried it, they wouldn't go back to sleep after they wanted milk during their naps, so they only slept 30min instead of 1.5hrs. Their eating at breakfast, lunch, and dinner has really picked up, too. They're actually eating, instead of nibbling and throwing most of it on the floor. We've been giving them water whenever they want it, and whole milk with meals. Zach likes milk but Alex doesn't, so he gets water most of the time. If they start getting a little cranky in the afternoon I'll give them a snack.
Both boys are getting pretty good at drinking out of straws. I think I'm going to get them some straw sippy cups so they can have a drink whenever they want it. I'm most worried about dehydration as we wean them off breast milk since they're not used to relying on water or cows milk.
We tried some new foods this week - baked beans, fruit smoothies, cheese crackers with peanut butter, tomato and cheese sandwiches, and some new fruit/veggie pouches. We're going through a phase where Zach will eat just about anything but Alex is acting picky. Usually if I make him try something a couple of times he'll eat it, though. He still doesn't know how to spit things out, so I use that to my advantage.
I'm looking forward to their birthday party. I hope the boys have fun. Jim's worried about them not diving into their little cakes, but I would be surprised if they didn't. It seems like their hands are into just about everything now.
5.18.2010
0
Month 11, Week 1 & 2
I'm tired. The boys are working on teeth and trying to get over some bad colds. They've had fevers, run-down-your-face noses, sinus pressure, and congestion. They spend most of the night coughing (as does Jim), and just want to be held. During the day they're cranky from the lack of sleep, and don't want to eat since they can't taste anything. At one point the three of us just climbed into the green chair and rocked while a Thomas and Friends episode played on the tv. They didn't have the energy to do much else.
Right now Zach has 6 teeth that have poked through - 3 top and 3 bottom - and a top and bottom one on the way. If you go by the dental numbers for teeth, he's gotten them in this order: 25, 24, 9, 8, 23, and 10. Numbers 26 and 7 are about to come through. Alex, on the other hand, likes to concentrate on the bottoms first. He has 4 teeth: 24, 25, 26, and 23. Number 8 is just about to come in, though.
I find the order they get their teeth to be interesting. Zach is pretty much a text book case, while Alex is bucking the norm. But neither of them have gotten the same tooth in at the same time. Not a single one! I guess genes don't play a big part in it.
You wouldn't know from the teeth count, but Alex has pulled ahead as our biter. He wants to chomp anything that gets close enough. I don't know how many times a day I have to keep him from biting Zach. He bit me this morning when he got mad that I made him stop rolling and go to sleep.
I've mentioned before that Alex likes to talk in a falsetto sometimes. Zach has developed his "Donald Duck" voice, which is kind of like a hoarse whisper. He'll just chat away, switching from normal to DD. It's pretty funny.
Beyond being tired from the teething an colds, I've been having trouble sleeping. On Mother's Day we found out that friends from college lost their B/G twins at 22wks due to an incompetent cervix. They did everything right and just couldn't stop them from arriving. It's really shaken me up. That could have easily been me, and honestly I can't tell you why it wasn't. We were so close to loosing the boys so many times, but for some reason it didn't happen. I had just sent my friends all of our old twins-related equipment, too, which probably makes it worse, sitting around, being a reminder. I've been worried that even just talking to me would make things worse for them. No one should have to go through what they are. I feel terrible and there's nothing I can do to fix it.
Ok, back to the boys. Alex has developed a willful side. He'll arch his back and just about throw himself on the ground when he's not getting his way. Diaper changes have become screaming and kicking matches. I have to physically bend him to get him in his high chair sometimes. He also gets frustrated when I can't figure out what he wants. He grabbed and yanked the cat's tail the other night, causing Frodo to yelp. When he's cruising, he wants to be in constant motion and gets irritated at Zach for standing and playing. He'll try to remove his hands, or push him out of the way. Mostly, though, he'll grab onto Zach's shoulders and cruise on him to get around to the other side.
Alex gets very jealous of whatever toy Zach has, even if he has a duplicate of his own. He'll try to grab the toy from Zach. And if Zach wants his toy, Alex will hold it out of reach, even rotating his body around so his back is to him.
Alex is easy to make laugh. When he wakes up from his nap, he'll roll onto his belly, pop his head up to look at me, and just grin from ear to ear. I can touch my nose to his for lots of giggles. He's very curious about my nose, mouth, and teeth. He thinks it's funny when I gently blow in his eyes and loves it when I stroke his face. He likes to sleep on his side and back.
Zach also has a touch of willfulness, mainly when it comes to changing his diaper. He wants to kick his legs and gets mad when I hold them. Otherwise he's pretty laid back. I've been letting him pick out his shirt in the morning. I hold up two and he grabs the one he wants. Lately he's been choosing what are normally Alex's shirts. This has been causing Jim and I a lot of mix-ups. hehe
He's starting to realize that Alex wants his toys, and will cry when he reaches for them. I spend a lot of time extracting his toys from Alex and giving them back. Zach is getting pretty good at taking walks with me holding his hands. He likes to cruise the couch and hold onto my knees. When he's trying to figure something out, he'll tilt his head to the side. Zach has started to play peek-a-boo with blankets and was experimenting with drinking from a cup by himself in the bath. He knows what "Sit!" means and will sit down in the tub. He likes to try to pull up on the sides a lot.
At lunch Zach has started to spit out things without even tasting them. He also likes to drop food over the side of his high chair, hoping the cats will come sniff it. He chews really fast and doesn't spill much when he drinks. Zach likes to break his cheese puffs in half before eating them.
Zach is obsessed with our alarm clocks and tries everything he can to look at them when it's time for a nap. I'm constantly rolling him back over and pulling him closer to me so he doesn't go off the side of the bed. If given the chance, he'll pull my hair. He likes to have his forehead and cheeks kissed before going taking a nap. Zach likes to sleep on his side or belly.
I find the order they get their teeth to be interesting. Zach is pretty much a text book case, while Alex is bucking the norm. But neither of them have gotten the same tooth in at the same time. Not a single one! I guess genes don't play a big part in it.
You wouldn't know from the teeth count, but Alex has pulled ahead as our biter. He wants to chomp anything that gets close enough. I don't know how many times a day I have to keep him from biting Zach. He bit me this morning when he got mad that I made him stop rolling and go to sleep.
I've mentioned before that Alex likes to talk in a falsetto sometimes. Zach has developed his "Donald Duck" voice, which is kind of like a hoarse whisper. He'll just chat away, switching from normal to DD. It's pretty funny.
Beyond being tired from the teething an colds, I've been having trouble sleeping. On Mother's Day we found out that friends from college lost their B/G twins at 22wks due to an incompetent cervix. They did everything right and just couldn't stop them from arriving. It's really shaken me up. That could have easily been me, and honestly I can't tell you why it wasn't. We were so close to loosing the boys so many times, but for some reason it didn't happen. I had just sent my friends all of our old twins-related equipment, too, which probably makes it worse, sitting around, being a reminder. I've been worried that even just talking to me would make things worse for them. No one should have to go through what they are. I feel terrible and there's nothing I can do to fix it.
Ok, back to the boys. Alex has developed a willful side. He'll arch his back and just about throw himself on the ground when he's not getting his way. Diaper changes have become screaming and kicking matches. I have to physically bend him to get him in his high chair sometimes. He also gets frustrated when I can't figure out what he wants. He grabbed and yanked the cat's tail the other night, causing Frodo to yelp. When he's cruising, he wants to be in constant motion and gets irritated at Zach for standing and playing. He'll try to remove his hands, or push him out of the way. Mostly, though, he'll grab onto Zach's shoulders and cruise on him to get around to the other side.
Alex gets very jealous of whatever toy Zach has, even if he has a duplicate of his own. He'll try to grab the toy from Zach. And if Zach wants his toy, Alex will hold it out of reach, even rotating his body around so his back is to him.
Alex is easy to make laugh. When he wakes up from his nap, he'll roll onto his belly, pop his head up to look at me, and just grin from ear to ear. I can touch my nose to his for lots of giggles. He's very curious about my nose, mouth, and teeth. He thinks it's funny when I gently blow in his eyes and loves it when I stroke his face. He likes to sleep on his side and back.
Zach also has a touch of willfulness, mainly when it comes to changing his diaper. He wants to kick his legs and gets mad when I hold them. Otherwise he's pretty laid back. I've been letting him pick out his shirt in the morning. I hold up two and he grabs the one he wants. Lately he's been choosing what are normally Alex's shirts. This has been causing Jim and I a lot of mix-ups. hehe
He's starting to realize that Alex wants his toys, and will cry when he reaches for them. I spend a lot of time extracting his toys from Alex and giving them back. Zach is getting pretty good at taking walks with me holding his hands. He likes to cruise the couch and hold onto my knees. When he's trying to figure something out, he'll tilt his head to the side. Zach has started to play peek-a-boo with blankets and was experimenting with drinking from a cup by himself in the bath. He knows what "Sit!" means and will sit down in the tub. He likes to try to pull up on the sides a lot.
At lunch Zach has started to spit out things without even tasting them. He also likes to drop food over the side of his high chair, hoping the cats will come sniff it. He chews really fast and doesn't spill much when he drinks. Zach likes to break his cheese puffs in half before eating them.
Zach is obsessed with our alarm clocks and tries everything he can to look at them when it's time for a nap. I'm constantly rolling him back over and pulling him closer to me so he doesn't go off the side of the bed. If given the chance, he'll pull my hair. He likes to have his forehead and cheeks kissed before going taking a nap. Zach likes to sleep on his side or belly.
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