Adventures in Pair-adise

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

6 Months

Wednesday April 9, 2014

I tell myself each month that "this is my favorite month" with the girls...then another month passes and now THIS is my favorite month with the girls. Six months! WOW! Six months. It is amazing how fast time passes. I remember when the girls were weeks old and I was getting up every two hours to feed (if not sooner), my back killed, and I was pretty much functioning on coffee and fumes. I thought to myself that I wasn't going to make it. I was exhausted and my only light at the end of tunnel was the two sweet angels sleeping next to me on the bed :).

Fast forward to six months and I am STILL exhausted BUT their personalities are shining through and each day is a new adventure. The light is SOO much brighter. It is such an amazing journey to experience life again for the first time through their eyes.When Adelyn and/or Clara laugh, it isn't just a simple laugh. It is a deep gut laugh that makes you laugh right along with them. They make the

world happy and me along with it.
We have been living in the new house for almost two months now and we are getting used to the new routines. It is funny how you cling to those stupid routines you had grown accustomed to. For example, at the old house, it was so small that I kept my hooded sweatshirts in the hall towel closet. It became natural to see them every morning when I went searching for a towel. Whereas at the new house I have a ton of closet space, yet I still find myself walking to the hall closet to get those sweatshirts. New house, new routines :)

The girls had their six month check up a week early. The appointments are always a tough day because the shots really wipe out the girls....and Mom...and Gramma. Our appointment went with the doctor went well.

		5 days	13 days	2 Months	4 Months	6 Months
Adelyn	Weight	5.24 %	14%	49%	82%	93%
2'3" tall 18.15 lbs 43.2 cm head	Length	20.16	44%	43%	93%	93%
	Head Circum	1.29%	29%	53%	57%	82%

Clara	Weight	0%	1%	24%	62%	84%
2'3" tall 17.15 lbs 44.5 cm head	Length	20.16	21%	43%	81%	93%
	Head Circum	13.4	35%	53%	89%	97%

You can see from the chart above how much amazing growth they have made. They were in the

bottom of percentiles when they were first born. Both girls are now in the 93rd percentile for height and in the high range for weight and head size as well! They are going to be tall girls. Runs in the family :) You can also see that Clara has a big head...NO WONDER she has a hard time during Tummy Time....it must be hard on her to hold that noggin up. All those brains probably weigh a ton :)

After the visit with the doctor we had to go next door to check in for the vaccinations. Mom took Clara and sat in the waiting area. I could hear Clara laughing all the way at the end of hall. She has the most contagious,loud laugh. I looked over at them and Clara's grin was ear to ear and laughing with every fiber of her body. I am chuckling to myself right now as I write, remembering her laugh. Adelyn was with me. I had to turn in the paperwork to the receptionist. Seconds after I handed the paperwork to the lady, Adelyn proceeded to spit up with excessive force from her mouth and nose. It went alllllll over my face, shirt, and her. Of course I didn't have any burp cloths with me. I looked around for some sort of wiping material and all there was, was a box of kleenex. They did little.

Neither did the lady behind the desk. She looked up at me, looked back down at the paperwork and didn't say a word. I think she was sending me silent messages, such as "um...you got puke on my desk." Meanwhile Adelyn spit up again with even MORE force. Poor girl. It was coming out her mouth and nose and going all over the both of us...and she hadn't even got her shots yet.

The receptionist continued to do nothing, say nothing. No help. No sympathetic comments. Nothing. She just looked at me, and resumed entering her data. After several seconds of looking at her with "um...help me" eyes, I finally said, "do you need me anymore?" To which she lazily look up and replied, "no." Don't you think she could have excused me way earlier???
The nurse got us back pretty soon for the shots. I had Adelyn go first. I held her in my arms while the nurse gave her the shots. She did NOT like them. She cried and cried. I kept whispering, "Mama loves you, Mama loves you" in her ear.

Next was Clara; my sensitive child. She started actually very happy. She was looking at me smiling. I could tell when they gave her the first shot because her leg jerked and her eyes got really big. Her face immediately went blood red and she started screaming. She has Mariah Carey level lungs and my ears are still ringing.
I swaddled her close but nothing comforted her. I kept thinking that she is looking at me like I was the one doing this to her. I wanted to take all her pain away and eventually she calmed down, but man, shot days are rough...for the girls...Mom...and Gramma. After the appointment, both girls fell asleep and slept most of the day. We even managed to get out and go for a walk.

Here are their six month statistics:

Adelyn

Clara

· Rolling over: back to front, front to back

· Grabs feet

· Sleeps on her side; sometimes on stomach

· Cuddles her bear blanket when she sleeps

· Eating level 2 pureed food (loves ALL food)

· Eye color: blue with some green

· Very observant

· Hates taking naps

· Very social

· Loves her exersaucer

· Loves "singing"

· Can almost sit without help

· Sleeps from 6:30pm - 6 am

· Wearing size 9 months clothes

· Wearing size 3 diapers

· Still hates tummy time BUT is tolerating it more

· Grabs feet

· Sleeps on her back with hands on her head

· Likes her face covered when she sleeps

· Sleeps better when you place your hand on her chest

· Needs pacifier still

· Smiling A LOT

· Very observant

· Loves to touch things...especially faces

· Settles down when I hold her (Mama's girl)

· Eye color: Green with some blue

· Sleeps from 6:30pm - 6 am

· Wearing size 9 months clothes

· Wearing size 3 diapers

Every day is a new adventure and I love being a mom every day, even more. There are so many new adventures ahead of us and I can't wait for what the next month is going to bring.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

5 MONTHS

3-9-14 FIVE MONTHS

"old house"

WOW! A lot has happened since my last post. The girls are a month older and we have moved. The house that I have been living in, I purchased from my mom over 10 years ago. It is the house that I grew up in since I was 7. When my mom and step dad Lloyd got married in 2004, I didn't want strangers living in "my childhood home" so I bought it. As sad as it is (and beyond hard), it is time to start a new chapter. There are so many memories in my old house. Every corner of that house has some story tied to it. It is the type of place that when you walk in the door, you just know you are "home." It feels weird to call it the "old" house now but for easy reference that is what I am going to call it.
My mom and I had been searching for a new house for me for awhile now (mostly as a fun hobby). The old house was just getting too small. It was crowded when my brother, Mom, and I lived there and that was awhile ago. I wanted a house where each of my girls could potentially have their own bedroom and the old house just wasn't going to cut it. One bathroom for three girls wasn't going to cut it :).

One day during maternity leave, Mom and I went to view a house. As soon as I walked in the

door, I knew it was my forever home. After viewing the house, Mom basically said the same thing. It just felt right. The "new" house has a garage (which alone, is an upgrade) and four bathrooms. Each person can have their own bathroom if need be. How perfect is that???? The stars all lined up and this was meant to be my new home. I even found out that 3 of my neighbors all have twins as well. God led me to this house and I am thankful everyday.

Sooooo the DAUNTING task of packing up 38 years of my life and moving began. Everyone that knows me, knows that when I put my mind to something, I accomplish it...quickly. I think it is the little part of me that is OCD. It is very hard for me to sit and relax while looking around at all the tasks that need to be done. I had 1 month to pack up and move. The old me, before kids me, would have had the house packed in a weekend and been done with it. The new me, the mom with kids me, had to re evaluate my work load. Luckily the month allowed me to box up a little each night after the girls went to bed. It is almost impossible to do anything while the girls are up. They want all of my attention. After they go to bed, I would spend about 2 hours a night, spring cleaning and boxing up belongings. No rest for the weary, right?!
When the weekend to move finally arrived, I hired a moving company to do the big things on Sunday and I had some family and friends (A HUGE THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT HELPED MOVED) help Saturday, move all the million little boxes. Mom GRACIOUSLY watched the girls so I could get some work done. It was a long weekend of moving but it finally got all done.
Then the task of UNPACKING began. Not to mention, cleaning the old house and getting it ready to be put on the market. I don't think my back will ever be the same. Not only does my back hurt from all the lifting, I now have severe tendinitis in both elbows. Some day I hope my body recovers. I highly doubt it since carrying around 2 twenty pound babies isn't as easy as it sounds. :)

The girls have settled in nicely to their home. This new house will be their

Adelyn loves to "hug" Clara

house where memories are in every corner and it feels like "home" when they walk through the door. My chapter at the old house has closed, and the new chapter of life with my girls has begun. I have to put their needs first and as sad as I am to leave the old place, I am focusing on all the positive new memories we are going to create at the new house. Truly the memories are in my heart anyway. They aren't in a corner or a particular room. I can go to my memories anytime to feel that warmth of my childhood home.
Besides the move, the girls have had a lot of changes as well. At their 4 months check up they weighed 15 and 16 pounds and they were in size 1 diapers. In a matter of two weeks, the girls went from size 1 diapers to size 3. They basically bypassed size 2. The girls have gained so much weight in a month.

Here are the 5 months stats:

Adelyn

Clara

*weighs 18 pounds

*rolls over from her back to her front

*loves to grab her feet while lying on back

*wearing 6-9 months clothes

*wears size 3 diapers

*bedtime: 7pm

*sleeps until about 5 am

*babbles a lot

*loves to "sing"

*loves to "pat" Clara (always rolling over and grabbing her sister)

*sucks on her middle two fingers

*loves oatmeal and pureed food (especially carrots)

*very social

*weighs 16 pounds

*smiles a lot more

*wearing 6-9 months clothes

*size 3 diapers

*bedtime: 7 pm (easy to put to bed)

*wakes up around 5 am

*sleeps with pacifier (LOVES her pacifier)

*starting to babble

*sucks on thumb and 1st finger

*has a high pitch laugh

*not a fan of oatmeal or pureed food...yet

*is such an observer. She loves to "watch" everyone and everything

*sleeping flat in her crib

She is already miss photogenic

5 months old

Um....Grandma....there is a dog under my leg

Adelyn in the jumper

Adelyn

Sweet Clara

The girls have discovered each other

Adelyn loves to play with her toes

Adelyn LOVES to use Clara as a foot rest :)

Clara in the jumper

Sunday, February 9, 2014

4 Months

Feb 9, 2014

The girls are 4 months today. They are getting so big right before my eyes. We went in last week for their 4 month doctor visit. It was a tough one for the girls and for me (and Grandma too).
Adelyn weighs 15.9 pounds (82% percentile)
height: 25.5 inches (93% percentile)
head circumference: 16 inches (57% percentile)

Clara weighs: 14.9 pounds (62% percentile)
height: 25 inches (81% percentile)
head circumference: 16.5 inches (89% percentile)

After all their measurements they got their shots. That was the tough part. Luckily I had Mom

there to hold one girl while I held the other during their shots. They took one oral vaccine and then got two shots in each thigh. They both screamed and at this age, they have developed tears so
those just rolled down their cheeks. It was tough as their mom to hold them while they were in pain but I know that vaccinations are important.
They got home that night and were in some discomfort. Clara needed to be held all night so she ended up sleeping with me. Adelyn slept in her own crib all night.

This has been a fun time between turning three months and now. On
Jan. 16, 2014 Aunt Mary Jane read their first bedtime story via skype. Both girls just stared at the monitor. It is so cool that modern technology can bring us closer together :)
On Jan. 15 Adelyn slept all night, flat in her crib. She no longer wanted to sleep in her napper. She transitioned very easily to sleeping flat in her crib. We think her arms were put on backwards because she loves to sleep with her arms above her head. It is too cute. Clara still likes sleeping in her napper but I think she will be out of it soon enough.

On Feb. 6 Adelyn and Clara discovered their fingers. I was sitting on my
chair reading when I heard this loud slurping sound. I looked over to where the girls were in their bouncy chairs. Adelyn had her middle finger and ring finger of her left hand in her mouth, sucking away. Drool was pouring out onto her arm. It was too cute. I grabbed my camera to capture the moment. Clara hadn't quite joined in the fun yet. She looked over to Adelyn, looked to me taking pictures, and immediately stuck her fingers on her right hand into her mouth. Monkey see, monkey do. It was priceless.
Clara is now smiling more and even giggles. She loves to be "flown" in the air and playfully shaken. The biggest smile comes over her face and she just laughs out loud.