Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Day at the Beach
Finally the weather has warmed back up and the thunderstorms have mercifully gone away (I like thunderstorms but not every day for three weeks worth), so we're back in full summer mode and enjoying every moment. Here are some photos of our outing today to a beautiful lake.
Kate enjoying the scenery while partaking of a refreshing beverage
Maya and Me
Kate and Maya engaging in their favorite twin game - steal whatever the other baby is holding.
Kate enjoying the scenery while partaking of a refreshing beverage
Maya and Me
Kate and Maya engaging in their favorite twin game - steal whatever the other baby is holding.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Eww and Aw...
Before I had kids, I used to think that babies hanging out in just a diaper was kind of unsightly - especially if they were sticky, dirty or otherwise not well-groomed...
Well, lots of thing of things have changed in eight months and now I think that my babies in just a diaper covered in sticky watermelon juice and peas are the cutest things ever. It was such a beautiful and warm day here and after two blow out diapers, an accident with a sippy cup and various other stains, I decided to just give up on clothes and let them hang out in diapers. This might become our modus operandi this summer because it sure cuts down on laundry.
Anyways, because they were just in diapers and I didn't have to worry about their clothes getting dirty, I let them go wild with the messy eating this evening. After dinner Maya was covered head to toe in peas and various other food-stuffs - and even had puffs glued to parts of her body.
Messy Maya
And, here's one of Kate in the middle of a classic Kate screech. Her reaction to any sort of discomfort (no matter how mild) is an earsplitting screech - this screech was because I was taking too long between spoonfuls of apples and blueberries (her current favorite food).
Maya in "baby jail" (aka our new outdoor playpen type thing)
Well, lots of thing of things have changed in eight months and now I think that my babies in just a diaper covered in sticky watermelon juice and peas are the cutest things ever. It was such a beautiful and warm day here and after two blow out diapers, an accident with a sippy cup and various other stains, I decided to just give up on clothes and let them hang out in diapers. This might become our modus operandi this summer because it sure cuts down on laundry.
Anyways, because they were just in diapers and I didn't have to worry about their clothes getting dirty, I let them go wild with the messy eating this evening. After dinner Maya was covered head to toe in peas and various other food-stuffs - and even had puffs glued to parts of her body.
Messy Maya
And, here's one of Kate in the middle of a classic Kate screech. Her reaction to any sort of discomfort (no matter how mild) is an earsplitting screech - this screech was because I was taking too long between spoonfuls of apples and blueberries (her current favorite food).
Maya in "baby jail" (aka our new outdoor playpen type thing)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
I wish I were a better writer as I've been trying to write this post a few times already and don't know where to begin. I just feel so lucky and blessed to be the mother of these two beautiful, hilarious and mysterious people. A lot seems to have happened in this past week - nothing really earth shattering - but a lot of little things. So, here's a quick dump of what's been rattling around in my brain.
Rolling and Learning
For the past month, I've been waking up at night worried because neither Kate nor Maya were rolling from their stomach to their backs. I kept reading the part in my American Academy of Pediatrics book that says to notify your doctor if your baby hasn't rolled over by 5 months of age - and my babies were 7.5 months (well, six months adjusted) and still not rolling over. I had actually mentioned this to my pediatricians several times and they kept telling me not to worry because Kate and Maya were meeting every other milestone and that it wasn't a big deal. But, me being me, I couldn't let it go and did fret a lot over it.
Finally, Josh had enough of me worrying and talking about how every other baby their age was rolling over, and decided to just teach Kate how to roll over. After just a few times showing her how to tuck her arm and tilt her head, she got it and started rolling over on her own. For some reason, it just never occurred to me that I could teach Kate to roll over, I just assumed she'd figure it out on her own. I've since taught them both to clap two blocks together and also taught Maya to roll over (yay!). And, not only are they rolling over, but they do it "on command" - when I say "tuck and roll" they will tuck their arms under, roll onto their backs and then break into some pretty huge grins because they are so proud of themselves! So, not only are they finally rolling over, but I guess this is first indication that they actually understand some of what we are saying.
Da Da
In honor of Father's Day, Maya yesterday looked up at Josh from her blocks and clearly said "da da". Now, I can't be sure this is her first word, but it was very distinct and clearly directed at Josh. She hasn't repeated it, but still...
Eating
I must be part Italian mother because it makes me so happy to see my babies learning to eat and enjoying food. Sometimes when they're fussy we'll all hang out in the living room and eat puffs or Cheerios together. I love these times - they are so cute chewing their puffs with such great concentration and I love that we can share some of the same food now.
Actually, today I was eating a piece of banana cream pie (sigh, I'm never going to lose those 10 pounds with banana cream pie around) while Maya and Kate were eating their puffs. Maya was very satisfied with her puffs until she spied my pie and then refused to eat the puffs and instead tried her best to reach my pie. Luckily she's not very fast or wily yet so I managed to fend her off since she's still a little young for banana cream pie.
Swan Dive
In not so great news, Kate had the unfortunate experience of swan diving off of one of our dining room chairs onto our hard laminate floor. Our friend who was holding Kate while she danced and jumped on the chair lost his grip on her and she took a tumble right onto her forehead (it's okay Mark, we forgive you!). Luckily he managed to catch her a little bit and slow her fall, so she didn't whack her head too badly. She's fine (she doesn't even have a bump on her head), but my nerves are still jangled from the site of my baby lying screaming on the floor after swan diving from a chair. I think I now have the "Head Injury" section of my trusty American Academy of Pediatrics book memorized.
And
Happy Father's Day to the two best dads in the world - Josh and my dad! Kate, Maya and I are so lucky to have you both in our lives.
And, here's another cute one of Kate. This is my favorite outfit for her these days. And, look at her shining, happy eyes - this is the best reason I can think of to get out of bed in the morning.
Rolling and Learning
For the past month, I've been waking up at night worried because neither Kate nor Maya were rolling from their stomach to their backs. I kept reading the part in my American Academy of Pediatrics book that says to notify your doctor if your baby hasn't rolled over by 5 months of age - and my babies were 7.5 months (well, six months adjusted) and still not rolling over. I had actually mentioned this to my pediatricians several times and they kept telling me not to worry because Kate and Maya were meeting every other milestone and that it wasn't a big deal. But, me being me, I couldn't let it go and did fret a lot over it.
Finally, Josh had enough of me worrying and talking about how every other baby their age was rolling over, and decided to just teach Kate how to roll over. After just a few times showing her how to tuck her arm and tilt her head, she got it and started rolling over on her own. For some reason, it just never occurred to me that I could teach Kate to roll over, I just assumed she'd figure it out on her own. I've since taught them both to clap two blocks together and also taught Maya to roll over (yay!). And, not only are they rolling over, but they do it "on command" - when I say "tuck and roll" they will tuck their arms under, roll onto their backs and then break into some pretty huge grins because they are so proud of themselves! So, not only are they finally rolling over, but I guess this is first indication that they actually understand some of what we are saying.
Da Da
In honor of Father's Day, Maya yesterday looked up at Josh from her blocks and clearly said "da da". Now, I can't be sure this is her first word, but it was very distinct and clearly directed at Josh. She hasn't repeated it, but still...
Eating
I must be part Italian mother because it makes me so happy to see my babies learning to eat and enjoying food. Sometimes when they're fussy we'll all hang out in the living room and eat puffs or Cheerios together. I love these times - they are so cute chewing their puffs with such great concentration and I love that we can share some of the same food now.
Actually, today I was eating a piece of banana cream pie (sigh, I'm never going to lose those 10 pounds with banana cream pie around) while Maya and Kate were eating their puffs. Maya was very satisfied with her puffs until she spied my pie and then refused to eat the puffs and instead tried her best to reach my pie. Luckily she's not very fast or wily yet so I managed to fend her off since she's still a little young for banana cream pie.
Swan Dive
In not so great news, Kate had the unfortunate experience of swan diving off of one of our dining room chairs onto our hard laminate floor. Our friend who was holding Kate while she danced and jumped on the chair lost his grip on her and she took a tumble right onto her forehead (it's okay Mark, we forgive you!). Luckily he managed to catch her a little bit and slow her fall, so she didn't whack her head too badly. She's fine (she doesn't even have a bump on her head), but my nerves are still jangled from the site of my baby lying screaming on the floor after swan diving from a chair. I think I now have the "Head Injury" section of my trusty American Academy of Pediatrics book memorized.
And
Happy Father's Day to the two best dads in the world - Josh and my dad! Kate, Maya and I are so lucky to have you both in our lives.
And, here's another cute one of Kate. This is my favorite outfit for her these days. And, look at her shining, happy eyes - this is the best reason I can think of to get out of bed in the morning.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Cute pictures (what else)...
Here are the cute pictures for the day. Here's an action shot of Kate and Maya in the tub.
And here's Maya chewing on her favorite bath toy.
And here's Maya chewing on her favorite bath toy.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A busy day with Grandma and Grandpa
Kate and Maya had a very busy day today. They got up and went through their normal morning routine. After their morning nap, I packed them up and headed north to Grandma and Grandpa's house. There, they did all sorts of things...
They practiced "standing" by holding onto a laundry basket. Sometimes this is the only thing that keeps them happy - they don't want to sit, lie down, be held - they only want to practice standing.
Then, Maya practiced "crawling". It's kind of cheating because I have to put Maya in the crawling position, but she does enjoy hanging out that way.
After the crawling and standing sessions, lunch, a bottle, and another nap we headed out on the town to see some real, live horses. Maya was fascinated by the horses and Kate was pretty much terrified of them. Of course, poor Kate was sound asleep in her carseat when we got to the ranch, so we just totted her around in the carseat until she woke up. She was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes and trying to figure out where she was when a horse, being a friendly sort, poked it's giant head in her face to say hi. For Kate, this was the ultimate "you are not my mother" moment and immediately she started crying. She recovered after a cuddle, so hopefully she won't have a permanent horse-phobia.
After the horse ranch, Grandma and I loaded the girls into their new backpacks and took them on a quick walk around town.
After the walk, we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for more playtime, dinner, another bottle, a bath and then carseats back home and bed. Not a bad day for a Tuesday - it beats working, that's for sure!
They practiced "standing" by holding onto a laundry basket. Sometimes this is the only thing that keeps them happy - they don't want to sit, lie down, be held - they only want to practice standing.
Then, Maya practiced "crawling". It's kind of cheating because I have to put Maya in the crawling position, but she does enjoy hanging out that way.
After the crawling and standing sessions, lunch, a bottle, and another nap we headed out on the town to see some real, live horses. Maya was fascinated by the horses and Kate was pretty much terrified of them. Of course, poor Kate was sound asleep in her carseat when we got to the ranch, so we just totted her around in the carseat until she woke up. She was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes and trying to figure out where she was when a horse, being a friendly sort, poked it's giant head in her face to say hi. For Kate, this was the ultimate "you are not my mother" moment and immediately she started crying. She recovered after a cuddle, so hopefully she won't have a permanent horse-phobia.
After the horse ranch, Grandma and I loaded the girls into their new backpacks and took them on a quick walk around town.
After the walk, we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for more playtime, dinner, another bottle, a bath and then carseats back home and bed. Not a bad day for a Tuesday - it beats working, that's for sure!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Twin Compassion
We just got Kate and Maya into bed after a long day. Maya was so exhausted by the end of the day that she just kind of lost it and was screaming inconsolably while waiting for Josh to make her a bottle. I was holding both Kate and Maya at the time and Kate stopped her own fussing and looked at Maya in what seemed to be concern. Like - "hey, are you okay?". Luckily Maya got her bottle quickly and drifted peacefully off to snoozyland.
Besides the Maya meltdown at the end of the day, the girls handled the long day of errands well. We did a lot - Petco (where they saw birds, kittens, fish, ferrets, etc.), Macy's, Babys R Us, Once Upon a Child (baby gear consignment store), Trader Joes, and lunch at Chevy's. Whew! We had plans to go to Costco, too, but we were all to wiped out to do that.
Also, they've been sleeping through the night - from 6:30 PM to 6:30 AM - with no bottles or intervention in between. It's been heaven for Josh and I and the girls are eating better during the day and seem happier. I'm hoping this will last as they went through a sleeping through the night stage around 4 months - but it only lasted a few weeks.
Besides the Maya meltdown at the end of the day, the girls handled the long day of errands well. We did a lot - Petco (where they saw birds, kittens, fish, ferrets, etc.), Macy's, Babys R Us, Once Upon a Child (baby gear consignment store), Trader Joes, and lunch at Chevy's. Whew! We had plans to go to Costco, too, but we were all to wiped out to do that.
Also, they've been sleeping through the night - from 6:30 PM to 6:30 AM - with no bottles or intervention in between. It's been heaven for Josh and I and the girls are eating better during the day and seem happier. I'm hoping this will last as they went through a sleeping through the night stage around 4 months - but it only lasted a few weeks.
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