Happy New Year!

8 months (nearly 9!!!)

Almost NINE months??!!! They've been around for the same amount of time I was preggo but it doesn't seem like its been that long! They are so much fun...each day brings new and exciting adventures!!!! Up above you can see the first time they both rode in the cart like big kids together....Carter just laughed and smiled the first five minutes...he was just so thrilled!
lol!
My friend was kind enough to let me borrow her little leather chair so I couldn't resist taking some santa pics of the kiddos! :o)

For the "Ho Ho Ho" picture I actually got asked for my "copywright release" in order to print it...LOL...I was like...wow...that's the biggest compliment anyone has ever given me!! :o)

FIRST SNOW! We were actually in Seattle for my grandpa's memorial service when it snowed here earlier this week so this was their first experience with the cold white stuff. The kids did GREAT on the plane...but then again I guess they already flew to California when they were three months old so they were seasoned travelers. ;o)

Things they're doing at nearly 9 months:

Carter:

* HAS FOUR TEETH

*Says "Dah-dah", "Bah-bah" and "Uh-oh" (the first two are not referring to "daddy" or "bottle" but are said randomly....and "uh-oh" is said after we say it...this just started two days ago!)

*Stands assisted

*sits up unassisted (though he still falls backward occasionally so momma always puts a pillow or blanket behind *wink*)

*rolls over and spins around on belly (no crawling yet!)

*Signs "milk" (usually when he's not being held by me and sees me walking by when he's hungry)

*clicks tongue

*is pretty laid back...doesn't fuss when his sister steals all his toys...just finds something else to play with

*quick to smile...is NOT afraid of strangers...loves everyone!

Caelyn:

*HAS ZERO TEETH

*Just started saying "Dah-dah" a couple days ago...other than that she just screams or says "uh-uh-uh"

*Stands assisted

*sits up unassisted

*rolls over and spins around on belly. Scoots backwards. (no crawling yet!)

*LOVES dogs...LOVES small children...she will giggle and laugh at the sight of either one...so cute.

*not afraid of strangers...has a smile for everyone!

Both kids are starting to eat all of G.erber's second foods (yeah...haven't quite gotten into making my own baby food yet...need to work on that!) and are still nursing...though with the recent plane ride I have been giving them a bottle a day just so they would be okay on the plane when I couldn't nurse them both...I may keep that bottle a day in the routine...it was nice having some help with feeding and not having to worry about being discreet and modest when feeding on the go! ;o) (which is getting more difficult...because both kids want to look around while nursing now...and they just fling their arms around to get the wrap off...its really fun.(NOT) *wink*

They STILL aren't quite sleeping through the night...I think part of the last two weeks was the fact that they had jet-lag from being in a different time zone...but the last two nights they've slept 8 hours and I am happy with that!!! They also naturally went into a nice hour and a half to two hour afternoon nap which I am LOVING...I get so much done and sometimes am tempted to wake them up because I'm a little bored and missing them...lol...of course I let them sleep though!

Looking forward to spending our first Christmas as a little family...we need to go get our tree today...we would have gotten it sooner, but as I said, we were in Seattle so we didn't get the chance yet. Having kids is amazing...having kids during the holidays is just WAY too much fun!!! I love the excuse to go into all the toy stores again...though I have only bought the kids one gift so far!! I'm really behind this year!

Today's to do list: Post on Blog (CHECK!)

Get Christmas Tree.

Buy Christmas Presents. :o)

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 Months!

Carter...what a fun kid! This kid is hilarious and it is so easy to make him laugh! He loves it when his momma does this silly voice (daddy calls it her weird, creepy alien voice) and will just crack up laughing every time she uses it! Its so funny! He still has just two little teeth but man can that boy use them...he's bit his momma several times...and his sissy...and even himself a couple of times (ouchie!). He's my tall thin man...he weighs 15lbs 1oz and I can't remember how tall he is but they told me he's two inches taller than Caelyn! Wow!
As you can see Caelyn is starting to sit up almost on her own...we still need the boppy nearby to catch any spills! This just started about a week ago. She is a little harder to make laugh than Carter...but if you get her one tickle spot (right on her clavicles...weird huh?) she starts rollin'! Speaking of rolling...she can pretty much move from one side of a room to the other now by rolling there...ooh boy...momma better do a really good job of baby proofing! She's my little chunker...weighing in at a whopping 15lbs 6oz! :o)

The Itsy Bitsy Spider has been their #1 favorite song for a little over a month now...but I'm a Little Teapot is starting to take the lead these days! :o)

On Halloween we just hung out on our driveway with our firepit and roasted hot dogs and s'mores. (and handed out candy too of course!)

Houston..we have a thumb sucker! Well...not really...but for this picture he got it in there pretty good! I took these pictures for their dedication ceremony that will be held next Sunday at church...I should mention these are the "outtakes"...I don't want family who read this blog to see the real photos until they're up on the big screen at church :o)

Both kids are amazing eaters....the whole time I'm feeding them they are like little birds with their mouths open! They used to get really crabby between bites because I'd have to feed the other one, but I think they've finally learned some patience...and they don't complain anymore! :o) When we started eating solids the babies did NOT like green beans or peas...but now they will eat ANYTHING I feed them! They love all their veggies and we just finished trying all the fruits...peaches being their least favorite and apples being their most favorite! :o) I'm so happy they love all their veggies because I am the MOST picky eater...I can't (won't) eat most vegetables...pretty much I'll eat lettuce, carrots and corn. Its pretty bad!

Yes...I'm still breastfeeding...*sigh*...its made my life so much easier to be feeding them solids though...if we're going somewhere I'll just nurse them really quick before we go and then pack the food for while we're out!

We aren't sleeping through the night as well as we were...I dunno what's going on (teething maybe?) but Caelyn keeps waking up at like 1 or 2am every night screaming...she won't take her paci and has to be rocked to sleep...sometimes several times a night. *sigh* If Carter wakes up he just needs his paci...but he doesn't wake up too often in the middle of the night thankfully. Then they wake up to eat at around 5 or 6 and then go back to sleep until around 10...yeah...momma usually sleeps in til around then too ;o)

Lately however I've been trying to be more productive in that long stretch of time...especially since the kids are way more mobile now! I've been doing a TON of crocheting...getting ready for a craft show and making hats for orders from my hat shop....look up Topsy Turvy Hat Shop on facebook...that's me! :o) I think I'm going to have to stop taking orders soon though...at least until after Dec. 4 because I just don't have time to prepare for the craft show when I'm filling orders! And like I said...its getting increasingly more difficult to find the time to crochet...and I know its going to get worse when the babies are crawling and WALKING...ahhhh!!

Anyhoo...I should get to bed...we lose an hour of sleep tomorrow don't we? Ugh...*yawn* Hopefully Caelyn will sleep through the night! We shall see! :o)

6 month photo shoot...

We decided to head to the pumpkin patch for the kiddos' 6 month photo shoot...DH had a cute idea...why not put the babies IN the pumpkins...it turned out to be a lot of fun! :o)

The kid's Nana made their little pumpkin hats...she recently taught me how to crochet too and I've been having a lot of fun with it!

This was Carter's first taste of vegetables. I actually just bought the canned baby food kind the day before at the grocery store and planned on giving it to them the day of the photo shoot...but he tried some on his own!! :o) I'll have to post pictures later of their first (well, Carter's second) taste of peas...its pretty humorous...neither my husband nor I like peas...apparently they take after us! We tried carrots today instead of continuing with the peas (we won't subject them to that torture again for a while) and they went over much better!!!

Cutest pumpkins in the patch!!

6 months!!

Am I a monthly blogger now??!! I just might be!! AHHHH!! I never thought it could happen....but its definitely starting to look that way. *sigh* Well here's what's been going on in our neck of the woods...

Sweet Caelyn got the chance to have her picture taken in the family christening dress that has been worn by generations before her. We have a picture of her Great great Grandma wearing the same dress...pretty neat! I was definitely freaking out when I put it on her...I even ripped it a little (ahhhhh!!)...but it truly is in great condition for being over a hundred years old!

Caelyn is able to hold her head up when she's laying on the floor...and is starting to push herself up with her arms nearly straight in front of her. She can roll over from her back to her tummy and then tummy to back. She loves to stand up if someone is willing to help her...and her little legs are constantly kicking a little irish jig. :o) She is quick to smile and LOVES to talk...or maybe I should say "scream"...she is the LOUDEST little girl ever! She's like a little bird...chirping and screeching all day long! Caelyn can easily recognize the sign for "milk" and "bath", getting VERY excited when she sees either of those signs!
Carter finally has enough hair for a mohawk!! :o) Momma is so proud! He is the most ticklish boy on the face of the planet...he will just giggle and squeal if you barely touch his tummy (and surprisingly his back too!) He is pretty laid back and when he finds himself on his belly, he'd rather lay with his head on the floor than pick it up....but at times he will give it a go and is getting quite strong! He also loves standing, but he will keep his little piggy toes all curled up the whole time! He also can recognize the signs for "milk" and "bath". He loves it when his momma sings to him and will smile and dance to his favorite songs (#1 being "The Itsy Bitsy Spider").

Yes...we started rice cereal the other day...it was quite a hit! The kids are getting the hang of eating off a spoon and mommy and daddy are having a lot of fun feeding them!

Speaking of feeding...I think I may be done breastfeeding...I was planning on starting to wean them this week...but the formula I bought got RECALLED so I was freaking out a little bit...I was thinking that I KNOW what goes into my milk....I never know what's going into those cans!!! But at the same time I'm DONE with breastfeeding. It has been good so far (definitely had its ups and downs) but I'm ready to be a bit more "mobile" with the feedings...and to not have a screaming baby while I feed the other (they refuse to tandem feed).

I think in the end it will be better for all of us...and I figure...I nursed TWINS for 6 months...that's a LOT of feedings. Equivalent to a singleton mommy feeding for a YEAR...

The "ladies" need a break.

'Nuff said.

:o)

I can't believe my babies are half a year old...I'm so excited to start planning their first birthday...though I can't believe how fast its coming up...

I was watching videos that we have of their first few months and I can't believe how much they've grown! Its amazing...and so fun to fall even deeper in love with them every day!

5 months!

How on earth has it been nearly a month since I've posted???!!! Wow...I figure I'm due for a post already! :o)

Things have been going great over here...I am officially a SAHM and I am loving it! I was definitely feeling a bit lost when the school buses roared past on Monday, but when I looked at the two chubby little cuties I was pushing in the stroller I knew I was right where I needed to be. I know I'll be back at work soon enough...I'm going to try to enjoy this year and hope that this one year leave of absence turns into TWO. :o) We'll see about that.

In kiddo news...lets see...both of them are rolling over like crazy. They hate being on their bellies so momma is constantly rolling them back onto their backs. Silly babies.

I've gotten a couple good laughs out of both kids, but nothing really consistant...I can't wait until I can hear those giggles daily!

We are still breastfeeding and my pediatrician doesn't usually start her babies on rice cereal until 6 months so we are waiting on that. She said we could start if I really really wanted to, but I figure I'll just wait since they are sleeping through the night...and it'd be just one more thing I'd have to do...and clean.. :o)

My parents just moved back to our side of the country...which is just plain lovely. I've been calling my mom a lot to help out with the kiddos...probably more than I should...but Nana doesn't seem to mind *wink*. I even got a pedicure last week.....I was pretty excited about that!! :o)

Caelyn is still my easy-going child. She will lay around and usually wait pretty patiently while I feed her brother. She gets really excited very easily...especially about bathtime! She splashes and kicks and smiles nearly the whole time! She stays awake nearly the whole day with only a couple cat naps...when we go out I usually have Carter in the back of the stroller (either in his car seat...asleep...or with the back seat reclined...so he can sleep!) and Caelyn in front. I went grocery shopping with my mom the other day (how nice to have someone to push the cart!!!) and Caelyn was in the front of the stroller talking to every one who walked by....and when no one was walking by...she talked to the groceries on the shelves!!! She lost her socks several times she was kicking so much! Silly girl!

Carter is my high maintinence child. He looooves to be held. He looooves his swing. And this boy looooves to sleep. :o) When he isn't sleeping though...you barely have to look at him and he will smile. He is the smiliest (is that how you spell that??!) boy...and his smiles are HUGE...big wide open mouth. He enjoys putting everything in his mouth...and constantly has his hands or a toy in there. His hair is starting to come in a little more (but he's still definitely a baldy!) so I'm getting excited about spiking it up in the next couple of months! :o) He is such a little observer...he will watch people and things go by with such wide eyes. He was rolling over before his sister...but he still has a little trouble holding his neck up sometimes...he's just very floppy...but we're working on it...the pediatrician said he needs to work out with his daddy! :o)

I think that's really all the news I have...I know I'm forgetting something...but I will try to post more than once a month so I remember all the good stuff! :o) I'll leave you with their latest photo shoot (which, speaking of photography, I have actually gotten a few "jobs" photographing other children....its been a lot of fun!!)

Here are my 5 month old cuties!!

Carter's 4 month photo shoot

Man...I love this little boy!!! :o)

He just started rolling over yesterday...but he doesn't love being on his belly...he cries until I flip him onto his back...and then of course he rolls right back over!! Silly boy!