Cousin Time

June 25, 2014

While Alli and Edd are in the Bahamas for a band trip, McKenna (9) and Aidric (6) are staying with Gramma and Grandpa Marquardt for the week.  I love that my mom lives so close so that I can bring the girls over to play with their cousins as much as possible.  It is so cute watching the big kids play with the small kids.  It is going to be such a fun adventure when my girls are old enough to walk and talk.  They are going to give their bigger cousins a run for their money.
     McKenna does such a great job "babysitting" the kiddos and Aidric loves to make them laugh.  Here are some pictures from the week so far :)

Clara was more interested in the cardboard than the actual toy

Getting some hugs from Gramma Sharon

Clara loves our flying game.  Her laugh is contagious

Clara is stylin cousin Aidric's hair

Clara is trying to get Aidric's s'more

He wasn't sharing :)

Adelyn is chillin with cousin McKenna

Adelyn is already sitting like a "lady"

It is hard to tell in this picture, but Adelyn was totally leaning into McKenna, relaxing

McKenna is an EXCELLENT babysitter

8 MONTHS

 June 2014 8 Months

It is an amazing adventure I am on.  Eight months is even better than seven!

Adelyn	Clara
Weighs 22.6 pounds	Weighs 21.4 pounds
Very inquisitive	Sits by herself
Loves stealing her sister's pacifier while it is in Clara's mouth	Loves her pacifier
Picks items up with fingers	Hates going to sleep now
Hates "mixed vegies"	Talks A LOT
Loves "jumping"	Loves Nalla.  Eyes get so big when she sees her
2 bottom teeth	LOVES books.  Eyes get so big when she sees me bring out a book

The twins are continuing to talk to each other in their "twin talk." Lately when you are holding Adelyn she loves to use her thumb and first finger to pinch your neck and then roll the skin between her fingers.  It hurts.  She still loves to sing and is very expressive with her talking.  It is almost like she is yelling at you with a smile.  Along with her beautiful Gerber eyes, Adelyn has become quite the faker.  She fake coughs.  Gramma and Grandpa Marquardt had a bad cold for awhile and did a lot of coughing.  Adelyn has picked up the coughing technique and it is funny to see her "cough" and then laugh at herself.    She is also VERY aware of her sister.  When Clara is upset or crying, Adelyn will lean in and try to make her laugh.  Even though she loves her sister very much, she still steals all the toys that Clara has.  If Clara has it, Adelyn wants it.
     Clara is sitting very well on her own now.  She "talks" a lot and seems to have a lot to say.  She is starting

to stand up for herself in regards to her sister.  Before, when Adelyn stole her pacifier or toys, Clara would just start crying.  Now she either tries to hold onto it, throw her fists down in frustration, or steal it back.
     Both girls are still fascinated with hair.  They will find that one strand of your hair and pull, hard.  I now have wild strands of short hair around my face because both girls have ripped my hair apart.  My poor hair dresser is going to have her work cut out with me when I can finally find the time to go in.

    Bath time is a lot of fun now as well.  Before I use to have to bathe one girl at a time.  Now I can put them in their mini laundry baskets and they can play with their toys while talking to each other.  Both girls love the water and have discovered how much fun splashing can be.  I think I leave the bathroom wetter than they do.  I also got them a kiddie pool for outside.  The weather hasn't been tooooo cooperative, but the one or two days it was, the girls loved playing in the pool.  They would try to scoot their little bottoms across the pool while splashing each other.  Finally, we don't watch too much tv at my house but when we do, we watch the Baby Channel 124.  There is a program that the girls ABSOLUTELY love.  It is called, VocabuLarry.  He is a brightly colored parrot, named Larry, who learns knew vocabulary.  I don't know if it is the color of the bird, Larry or the music they play during the episode, but when he comes on, BOTH girls' eyes get soooo wide and they start kicking their feet, and they squeal in joy.  They don't do that with any other program but it is amazing to see their excitement when Larry comes on.
      On a side note, I want to give a shout out to Gramma Marquardt.  She watches them everyday while I go to work and is the best Gramma out there.  The girls love their Gramma Marquardt and I don't know what I would do without her help!  Thanks Gramma Marquardt!
     As always, I am so honored to be their mother and I look forward to every day I get to spend with them.  Every day is an adventure that I don't want to end.

They love interacting with each other and Adelyn is always ready to make her sister laugh!

Gramma and Grandpa Marquardt

We took the girls to the beach at Kirkland for a fun afternoon out :)

The girls love setting up our "picnic" in the front yard and Nalla is always there to play guard dog.

Adelyn stole her sister's pacifier and is trying to nah on it.  Must feel good on her teeth.

Clara is just the sweetest!  I love that smile!

Fun in the pool

I can see you ;)

Gramma Daycare

Gramma Daycare

       At 4 months of age, when I had to go back to work, I have dropped off the girls at Gramma's Daycare Monday-Friday from 6am-2:45pm routinely. 

     Typically I will get dressed at my house and wake the girls at the last minute and place them in their car seats and drive to Gramma's house. Gramma greets the girls & me at my car and brings one baby in while I brings in the other. Gramma is always greeted with a smile or 3 which is the only way to start the day. Priceless. Inside, while Gramma bibs the girls in their "table for two", I get a cup of coffee and then help feed while visiting with Gramma who has their bottles warmed and ready to go. Smooth like a finely tuned watch.

     Once I leave, the twins are ready for some relaxing 124-TV and then down for a little extended morning nap about 7 am. After their nap which ends about 8 am, Gramma changes them out of their PJ's and into their day clothes which I have already brought over for the week. Once dressed, the day is full of "stations" of twin time, laughter and hugs of joy. Gramma has said she has the best job ever!!

The rest is from Gramma's journal: 

     Gramma has several "stations" for the girls to enjoy. One is "twin time in the crib" where they play with three dimensional and musical toys for about 1/2 an hour. We have Johnny Jump up time in two separate door jams and tummy time either on the living room floor or best in the babies room free of animals and distractions. When they start to grumble, Gramma knows it is time to either move to another station or change it up somehow. Sometimes they just need a diaper change. Another station they enjoy is sitting in their "activity chairs" for 1/2 and hour or so. Each time Gramma puts them into them she will change up which seat they sit in so they have a chance at both of the two available seats. Then because they rub their eyes and get tired, it is "morning nap time" which lasts anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour. They have their own crib in the babies room. 

     At noon Gramma bibs them in the "table for two" and they have food and a bottle and a few minutes in their incline chairs  to digest watching 124-TV and then more station time for exploration and play. We always have time for individual baby time of hugs and laughter. We are spontaneous depending on our frame of mind. Often the girls like to touch the entry stained glass windows and smile watching the 2 gold fish in the entry tank. Clara especially loves time with the house animals and will grab onto the cats and Daisy though Daisy will steal her pacifier and chew on it any chance she gets. 

The twins then usually need an afternoon nap (they rub their eyes) around 1 pm and sleep until 2:15 and have one last snack at 2:30 so Mom can come get them about 2:45 "fed and ready to play". 

Gramma loves her daycare job!!  

SEVEN MONTHS

May 9, 2014

Dear Adelyn and Clara,

 

Mother's Day 2014 

You both love love love to laugh

 It is amazing how fast you are growing.  I absolutely love watching you discover the world for the first time.  You make me laugh everyday with your mannerisms, smiles, giggles, and facial expressions that are perfectly priceless.  The last month has been filled with tremendous growth, physically and mentally.  Clara, you sat for the first time today!  Over the last month, you have been working so hard developing your muscles and you can now sit for a bit by yourself!  You are becoming such a big girl and you should have seen the look on your face when you realized that Momma wasn't holding you up.  You were doing it alllll by yourself!

   You are both just so smart and your laughs make Momma's soul smile with heavenly pleasure!  I remember one night, I was feeding you both and I started playing peek a boo with my eyes.  You both thought that was just the funniest thing you have ever experienced.  Clara thought it was so funny that her laugh reached a glass breaking octave.  Adelyn turned her head to look at her sister when she did that with a look of "who are you and what did you do with my sister?"  Adelyn's look was priceless and I am still laughing to myself right now as I relive the memory.  I kept thinking, "what is Adelyn thinking right now?"  I could tell those brain cells were working hard trying to figure out who was doing all that high pitch laughing :).

     Adelyn you still hate naps and you just don't want to miss anything by going to sleep.  You have

Adelyn sucking on her giraffe's ear

started sucking on the ears/tails of the stuffed animals you are sleeping with.  It is just too cute.  One night I tried to take the ear out of your mouth while you were sleeping but you woke up and you were not too happy with Momma!  Clara, you use to go to bed sooooo easily, but lately you are fighting it just as much as Adelyn.  You just cry and cry and it tugs on Momma's heart strings.  You still love having your face covered up when you sleep though.  I am thinking that I need to get you some diva eye wear when you are older.  :)
 
    You both now wear size 18 months clothes.   Both of you just keep growing and growing!  I had all these cute 12 month clothes that you didn't get to wear because you lasted in that size for about 2 weeks.  Adelyn you weigh 21.4 pounds now and Clara, you weigh 19.4 pounds.

this photo cracks me up.  You two have such different
personalities.  While Clara is looking down, Adelyn
you are looking up

       Talking is on both of your to do list.  Both of you love to "talk" and have even started talking to each other.  Adelyn you seem to sing more and Clara you are giving speeches everyday with the amount of talking you are doing.
      I still think you are going to both be playing the piano someday with those long fingers of yours and you are going to be Olympic swimmers with the amount of kicking you love doing.  Those legs of yours just keep kicking, kicking, kicking.  It is funny to see the blankets over your laps moving up and down because you are just kicking away under there.  Most of the time, it is actually hard to keep blankets on you because you just kick them off.
    Well my loves, Momma is going to get some shut eye while you are down for the night.  I am

You may be twins, but you are very different 

going to need all my energy so I can keep up with all your energy tomorrow!  I love you both very much; beyond words to explain!  Life with you is always an adventure and I never want it to end!
                                                                       Love,
                                                                       Momma

Adelyn's expression is priceless...always wondering
what is going on around her

Clara just has the most priceless smile/laugh.  She sat for the
first time in this photo

Grandpa John, Auntie Mary Jane, Momma, and the girls

Auntie Mary Jane came up to spend the day with the girls.
This is the first time she has gotten to hold them since they
were about one month old!

I just love these two!

Adelyn	Clara
21.4 lbs	19.4 lbs
Sucks on ears of stuffed animals	Sleeps with face covered
Wears 18 mo clothes	Wears 18 mo clothes
Loves food	Picky eater
Very social	Has started showing some separation anxiety
Hates taking naps	Has started hating naps
Sits on her own with rare falls	Sits on her own for short periods of time
Loves to sing	Loves to talk
Very happy baby	Very happy baby
Stands on her own with help from Momma
Loves kicking feet	Loves kicking feet
Sat in a baby pool for first time	Sat in baby pool for first time

First Tooth

May 1, 2014

Someone got her first tooth....If you look close in Adelyn's mouth, near my mom's finger on the bottom of her mouth, you can see the white little nub coming through.  It is now May 6 and the tooth has completely protruded through the gums.  It still has some growing to do still, but it is definitely a tooth.

She has been super cranky and drooling a lot lately so her tooth explains all that.  Of course Adelyn has to be her little miss trend setter self.  She is just doing something new everyday.  Miss Clara is in no hurry to catch up to her sister and is more than happy to let her sister pave her own path.  Clara is drooling more than Adelyn but it is hard to tell since she has her pacifier in her mouth most of the day.

My mom says that it is tooth "P" but I am not a dentist so I am not sure,so I will take her word for it.  If this is any indicator about Adelyn doing everything quickly then she can slow her roll on some things like terrible twos, dating, and driving. :)

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.