9 months and on the move...

9 months – where has the time gone?! It seems like only yesterday I was able to hold both of them on my chest at the same time for a nap and now they don’t really want to cuddle in at all. :) I do miss the cuddles, but they are a lot more fun to interact with now.  The Hubby said it best, we no longer have to interact TO them, we know get to interact WITH them.  I think one of my favorites to watch is how they interact with each other.  I only wish I could understand the conversations! 

There are so many “new” things going on with them, I am struggling to think of it all! I am going to try and focus on one of them at a time… 

Riley: She finally let me in on her “secret” a few weeks ago and I got to see her crawl on all fours.  The rumor had been that she was doing it at daycare for a few weeks, but she continued to army crawl at home until one day and then – BAM- she has been off like lightning ever since.  Around that time I also receive the report from daycare that she pulled herself to standing by holding on to the couch! Again, it was a bit before I saw that “trick” at home, but now she isn’t happy unless she is crawling all over you.  She loves to grab on to things and pull herself up and/or crawl over – this does include her brother and has become a point of contention in the home.  She very much enjoys when you sit on the floor with her and she then uses you as a “human jungle gym.”  She has not learned (yet) that she can pull herself to stand in her crib and we may just be lowering the crib before she figures it out.  Her favorite toy is her duckie pacifier and anything that makes a crinkling sound.  She is doing really well with drinking from a sippy cup and has only recently discovered the game of “mommy will pick it up” when she throws it to the ground during dinner.  We haven’t really found a food that she will not eat and we even let them try a little sorbet a few weeks ago and they seemed to enjoy it.  We did have a rough patch with her not wanting to go to sleep at night and she would be up for HOURS after her brother, but it only lasted about two weeks.  She does fuss most nights when we put her down to bed, but it is over in about 20 minutes.  She is very talkative and loves to smile – still no teeth.  She loves to sit up and play and has almost mastered getting herself into a seated position, but still ends up sitting on a foot or leaning on you for support.  She LOVES to explore the house and has been busy teaching me where/what I need to babyproof around here.  I enjoy watching her when she “visits” her brother when he is in the swing or in the walker because she will pull herself right up to his face and they talk and laugh together.  

"Coloring" eggs with mom and dad

 Landon: The big news is that Landon started an army crawl this past weekend. :) He is proud of himself as well, especially since I cheer him on.  He is able to go short distances – especially when motivated by a toy.  Sometimes I feel a little guilty moving the toy further and further away from him, but I know it is for the best.  We are still going to physical therapy every week.  (HONEST MOMMY MOMENT:  I still struggle with this often.  I have been doing research, including talking to the Physical Therapist, and statistically Hypotonia is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom.  If you know me, you know I am a very “worst case scenario” type personality, so sometimes I feel like I am just waiting for something else to go “wrong.”  By no means do I think that there is something “wrong” with my child – I love him very much – I am just concerned with the bigger picture and the possible long term effects.  As a side note though, the therapist said that she has worked with many children who were only “diagnosed” with Hypotonia and they seemed to catch up by age 2 with no other issues. :))  We are working with him on pulling up and playing on his knees.  We play little games to try and strengthen his arms and legs so that he will be able to get up on all fours and crawl from there.  He likes to be able to stand and play, he just needs a little extra support in case his legs give out.  The other “new trick” of the weekend is actually a noise.  A friend and I took the babies to an aquarium on Friday and Landon was in L-O-V-E and he demonstrated this by making an excited squeeling noise for the entire hour we were there.  Needless to say I did not want to leave the aquarium because I liked listening to him.  Well, that noise has continued.  Let me tell you, I never knew a grocery store could be so exciting. :) It puts a whole new perspective on life when you see it through the eyes of a child.  Landon still loves to eat, still doesn’t like carrots and recently does not seem to like pumpkin anymore either.  He does love eating from a pouch- I have these spoons that attach right to the pouch and he likes to just keep the spoon in his mouth and suck out all the food like a straw! He gets upset when you take it away, so I just let him do it.   Landon loves to play with any toy that can go in his mouth, that top tooth is still on it’s way through and it is driving both of us crazy.  Landon goes to sleep pretty easily, even when she is fussing.  He does sleep more or less face planted in the corner of his crib, which is kind of funny to see.  Tonight I put him in the walker and he managed to play in there and watch the world go by for almost 40 minutes, without moving it an inch! :) Hopefully he gets the hang of moving it, but right now it is actually a little too tall for him.  

Jellyfish!

We have had lots of visitors the past few weeks with more to come tomorrow.  I enjoy having the extra help around here and am greatly appreciative of all the clothes that got folded – I hate that part! We have more visitors and trips planned this summer and I am most excited for DISNEY in SEPTEMBER! :)Here are some pictures to make up for the long reading… 

Loved meeting the Easter Bunny!

Requiring toys to sit still now...

Loves her puppy... and he tolerates her. :)

Sweet baby giggles...

 

It is official.  I am a comic genius! Well at least in the eyes of my children and that is all that really matters right? I spend my days dancing around the room (hot dog dance anyone?), making random noises, and telling stories about stuffed animals.  They both love to be tickled and I love the giggles.  I wish I could bottle up the laughs so I can have then forever… I have been taking tons of videos at least.  The other “noise” in the house sounds a lot like “DADADA,” but I have been ignoring that “noise.” (Kidding).  They both love to babble and talk to each other.  Riley even has an official “angry noise” that she has busted out a few times when she was mad at me, like when I got out the vacuum.  She recently developed a fear of the vacuum and I had no idea until I got it out one day and she started “yelling” at it and crying… ooops. No more vacuum in front of her.  (UPDATE: After I wrote this, a miracle happened.  I had my back to her at the time because I was changing Landon, but Riley said “MAMAMA” as she was crawling across the floor towards me – I call that a win)

They are both extra busy and moving all around the house.  Landon preferred method of movement is rolling and he has become quite good.  He can be across the room in a matter of seconds.  Riley “army crawls” her way across the room – also very quick.  Nothing is safe! This morning I left the room for 2.5 seconds and came back to find they had spilled my drink into my slippers.  I had to laugh – and I should have known better.  Supposedly Riley can crawl on all fours and does so at daycare, but I have yet to see it.  She thinks it is because the other kids will get on the floor and crawl with her.  Needless to say I have been crawling around on the floor like a fool and NOTHING! The hubby and I set up what we call the “baby cage” in the livingroom.  It is one of those large multi-colored playyards, but we bought the extension kit as well so it is a bit bigger- allowing room for both he and I and the babies to be in there playing together.  We have also had a lot of play dates lately and they love being able to play with their friends - and mommy and daddy like being able to get out of the house as well!

  The babies love to eat and I am happy that they do not seem to be picky eaters thus far.  Well, Landon makes some pretty awful faces with carrots and spits them back out, but other than that they have been great.  (Neither one was a fan of the potatoes this evening, but I think it might have actually been an issue with the thicker consistency.  I tried to step them up a little, but they apparently weren’t ready. ) Some of the favorite combinations are avocado/banana and pumpkin/pear.  I have pureed some of my own veggies and fruit for them, but we also purchase food as well.  We aren’t doing anything they have to chew yet – they still are not the greatest at sitting up and I want to master that before I am handing them food.  Landon can sit up for a decent amount of time if you put him in the sitting position.  Riley does not like to sit because that means she is sitting still and she much prefers to be all over the place.  She is also so stiff when she sits that she topples right over – again, complete opposites.  Landon is a little extra “floppy” and Riley is stiff as a board.  Guess they are trying to balance each other out?! 

Some of the favorite toys of the moment:  jumpers, almost empty packages of wipes, remote controls, $2 stacking cups, the rings from the ring stacker – and often chewing on the stacker, and things that light up when a button is pushed.  Riley has decided a few times that she wanted to trade out her toys and got a new out of the basket herself.  They have become very entertaining over the past few weeks.  We have lots of visitors coming in the upcoming weeks and some “firsts” for them including their first attendance at one of daddy’s long bike races – we will see how that goes! 

Sorry for the sideways photos! I can't seem to figure out how to keep them turned!

Jasper wanted in on the photoshoot

 

Research?

I have been doing extensive research. By extensive I mean that I have talked to several other parents of twins – which is about as extensive as my time allows. Ha ha. My conclusion is that not a single one of them liked when someone compared their children! Whew! I thought I was feeling something out of line when I become emotionally charged when someone comments that “He likes the swing and she likes the bouncer.”  I will admit that I probably feel too much emotion at this point as mentally I am thinking “You don’t know my kids like I do, what makes you think you can jump to that conclusion? Sure, he likes the swing today but yesterday he was screaming his head off in the swing. Why is there even a need to make this type of comparison? Are you trying to prove something to me?”  Rational right? I acknowledge that it is a bit “extra,” but honestly this has been my biggest gripe as a parent of twins thus far.

I don’t need to know that “He doesn’t like to stand as much as she does” or “He doesn’t like to move as much.”  I KNOW this. I watch this heartbreaking activity and lack there of on a daily basis.  Several times a week I am brought to tears with the worry I have about my son.  I have to remind myself of all of the advancements he has made and the things he can do.  He is making great progress in physical therapy.  He rolls back and forth now and loves to be rolling around on the floor! This weekend he sat up for a few minutes – I sat him up and he was able to stay there and play with a toy until he weebled over. He laughs, he smiles, he cries, he takes toys away from his sister – he just does it while staying more centrally located. 

I realize that I am more or less comparing apples to oranges at this point.  I have been made aware by the physical therapist that my daughter is “advanced” for her age with her developmental abilities. She is crawling on all fours (I have yet to see but daycare has reported it), she army crawls everywhere, and has been pulling herself up on things (couches, baskets, tables).  She is apparently a very strong baby – which is ironic all on its own because prior to her birth I had myself convinced that she was going to be this tiny little thing.  :) 

I just don’t want my children to ever think that they aren’t good enough because they can’t do something that their sibling does.  I already try very hard in my language to make sure that I am not making a comparison between them.  I honestly think that will be one of the toughest aspects of parenting twins – making sure they feel equal.  It is hard to have two children (that should be) at the same developmental milestone.  Two children with the same wants and needs.  People have told us that they “know what it is like” because they have two kids.  Here is where I get some of those “rational” thoughts in my head again.  “You may have had two children, but did you have two at the exact same time? Two that both need held, fed, rocked, and soothed in the same manner? Two at the same milestones in life (TEETHING!)?” Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t all bad. You also get to hear two babies laughing and giggling at each other. You get to watch them play and learn together.  You get to watch them develop individually and together all at the same time.  It is an amazing experience thus far and my heart smiles just to think about all the fun we will have in the future.