One Year Old!

Our sweet girls turned one year old on October 24th. I have no clue where the past year went, but it has been so amazing. I have to admit, the first couple of months were extremely hard. Looking back, I have no idea how we functioned on so little sleep and had the patience to keep two tiny, needy babies satisfied and healthy. However, I would do it all over again for the sake of slowing down time! 

The girls had their 12 month old check up shortly after their first birthday. Hadley weighs 20lbs and is 29 3/4 inches tall and our petite Ava James weighs a little over 17lbs and is 29 inches tall. Dr. Trumbull is very happy with both of their weights and heights. No big surprise, but the girls are measuring in a higher percentage for height than weight. 

Both girls are walking and talking more and more. They love to give hugs and kisses- especially to one another. They laugh and play with each other more and more each day. They tend to have giggle fits while playing together which is rather comical. They are good eaters, although Haldey is the pickier of the two. They eat table foods (ham, butter beans, stewed apples, etc.) and drink whole milk- no more formula or bottles. They love fruit! They understand more phrases and words everyday. They understand "Do you want to go change your diaper," "No" "Are you hungry," "Do you want a nack nack (snack)," "Are you ready to eat" and will run to the kitchen upon being asked. They can both say more random words. For example: snack (nack nack), book (boo), cup (pup). More on the girls and a little bit...

The girls had their first birthday party on October 20th. They had so much fun! The girls had a Thing 1 & Thing 2 themed birthday party. I made them matching tutus- they were so cute! They also wore their tutus for Halloween. 

They enjoyed all the sweet friends and family that came to our house to celebrate. They also enjoyed eating their individual (smash) cakes. Ava James was very delicate and dainty when it came to eating hers. Hadley, on the other hand,...completely the opposite! Pretty fitting given their drastically different personalities.

The girls got a lot of fun presents for their birthday! Their Nonnie and Poppa got them a playhouse with a slide. They love it! Hadley loves the slide and Ava James loves opening and closing the front door (of the playhouse) and walking in and out. Rusty and I got them twin baby dolls and accessories. I also refinished a child-size rocking chair and my babydoll crib from when I was a little girl. They got more baby dolls, princess Little People, clothes, blocks, and a lot of more fun toys at their party! 

While they are twins, they couldn't be more different! 

Hadley is still our wild child. She has NO fear! She is also very tough. She stays busy, but still finds time to give hugs and snuggle every now and then. As time passes, we find that she is more shy than her sister. She loves to sit in their chairs, although she gets in trouble for standing in them rather regularly. She is also very obsessed with the nightlight in their room. Hadley likes toys that she can manipulate. She likes blocks and other toys that she can stack. She also likes to throw/bounce balls. Hadley now has five teeth! Three on top and two on the bottom. 

Ava James is more content with playing in one spot and isn't nearly as busy as her sister. She is outgoing and never meets a stranger. Ava James is very michevious (like her Daddy). She will steal her sisters pacifier or hit (not hard) her sister in the head just to agrevate her. While michevious, she is very sweet. She gives her sister kisses constantly, as well as her baby dolls, Mama, Daddy, Nonnie, and Poppa. Speaking of baby dolls, Ava James will definitely be our little mommy. She loves to rock her baby dolls and carry them around the house. Ava James now has six teeth! Four on top and two on the bottom. 

They are growing up so quickly! They are learning new things everyday- it's hard to keep up with all their milestones. 

Every night I make sure to pray for my girls. I try to pray over them (like my Daddy did for me) every night, but sometimes I'm afraid I might wake them. Either way, I say the same prayer every night....

I pray that they always know that they are here on earth for a purpose. Not because some doctors put Mommy on some medicine, but because Father God placed them here for a purpose. I pray that Rusty and I are good parents who lead by example and teach them that they are here to glorify Him all their days. I pray that they continue to love people and as they grow older that they understand the importance of serving others. I pray that they know their worth. That they are beautiful and perfect no matter what some magazine or someone else tells them. This world can be a mean and evil place. I pray that they never let the bad in the world take their beautiful spirits and innocence. Always have childlike faith. I pray that God would be working in the hearts of two little boys right now. That when they grow older that there will be Christ-like men to take care of them and love them as much as Rusty and I do. I pray for their health. I pray that they realize how special their relationship with each other is and to always take care of one another. Lastly, I pray that they always know how much Rusty and I love them. 

God has blessed our family. I will never know why, but I am forever thankful. 

11 Months Old!!!

I can't believe that in just one month, these little miracles will be ONE YEAR OLD! Eleven months have come and gone so quickly. 

Once again, no doctors appointment this past month, so I'm not sure about weights or heights. They are both wearing most 12 month clothing and are eating us out of house and home!!!

Both girls continue to amaze us with their growth and development. Both girls can now tell you who they are. While they can't correctly say their name, they can pat themselves on the chest and pronounce the first letter of their name. Hadley says "Haa" and Ava James will say "Aaa." Doesn't seem like much, but when someone asks, "Who is Hadley/Ava James?" it comes in handy. The girls are also communicating more with one another. They laugh at a each other a lot, share toys, and give each other kisses regularly. However, with every pair of siblings, there have also been some sour moments. The girls have learned to push/pull each down, shove, or even kick each other. We are working on this daily!!! Luckily the girls completely understand "No" or "No Mam." 

The girls have also learned how to throw things (mainly balls). This came about when Bailey (the dog) kept bringing them her tennis ball. They soon learned how to hand Bailey the ball and even throw it (even though it's more like a roll). They have also started playing with toys in the way that they were intended. By that I mean they can properly play with their farm set. They will put the cows inside of their fence and even put the people in the tractor. They also enjoy sitting in chairs. They have a child size rocker in their room that they love. Hadley can easily get in and out of the chair, and Ava James can with a little help. They will even go get a toy to play with while sitting in their "big girl chair." 

The girls have started eating a lot of finger foods this past month. The girls do VERY well with feeding themselves. Hadley's favorite finger food in bananas and Ava James loves peas. Hadley is officially off the bottle (sippy cups only) and hopefully Ava James isn't too far behind. Both girls are still sleeping very well- sleeping almost two hours for both naps and almost 12 hours at night.

This past month brought about the start of Auburn football! The girls have enjoyed tailgating! There are other families that tailgate with us and all of them have kids (or grandchildren) around their age- all girls! The girls really enjoy playing with the "big girls," being outside, and getting a lot of attention from all the people that show up at the tailgate. 

As the girls get older, they are hitting milestone after milestone. It's hard to keep up with them all! I will try my best to remember them...here is more about the girls at 11 months...

Hadley is WALKING! That is most definitely the biggest change in Hadley's life over the past month. While she can't walk long distances, she can walk from one area to another (the recliner to the couch or the kitchen door to the living room, for example). It's funny- she almost doesn't realize that she is walking. If you ask her to walk to you she will drop to her knees and crawl. She really only walks when she isn't thinking too much about it. 

Walking has only increased Hadley's need for a thrill! She is still our daredevil and shows very little fear of anything. Loud noises still scare her but crawling onto furniture, over furniture, into furniture...not scared at all. She loves crawling over the elliptical in the living room and has even devised multiple plans in order to crawl onto the furniture. Both girls have a light weight, green chair that they can easily move around. Hadley will push her chair next to the coffee table or couch and then attempt to crawl up onto the furniture. I'm sure she would be successful as she has managed to get at least one knee onto the coffee table. I always stop her before she has a chance to be successful. She has also learned to crawl up her car seat and into the window seat in their room. She will then proceed to throw every stuffed animal on the floor. In one word, Hadley = BUSY! She never stops. She is ALWAYS doing something and very rarely slows down to sit and watch a TV show or read a book.

Over the past month we have noticed that Hadley is very particular about certain things. She doesn't want anything on the coffee table. She will pull anything that you put on the table onto the floor and then go about her business. She also hates the arm chair covers on the rocker in their room. 

Hadley has become more lovey-dovey over the past month. She loves to give hugs and kisses. She will often say "Mama" and the reach her hands out for hugs. On the subject of speaking, Hadley is still learning more and more words and speaking more clearly. She can say "Mama," "DaDa," "AJ," "Oooo (uh oh)," "More," and "NaNa (Nonnie)." While she hasn't learned a lot more words, you can understand her a lot better. She also knows the sign language for "More" and "touchdown." We continue to work with both girls on sign language. It's just hard when our hands are often occupied by feeding two babies, calming two babies, playing with two babies...you get the point. 

Hadley still has just three teeth but there are a couple buds under the skin that I expect will pop through soon. 

Ava James finally has TEETH!!! Sweet girl has two front teeth (top) that popped through at once. We can see two additional buds on the top, but still no sign of bottom teeth. 

Ava James is still a turbo crawler. While she could easily walk, and has taken two steps on her own, she is still more interested in crawling. She can easily walk the length of the hall with one hand on the wall. I'm pretty confident that when she sees her sister walking regularly that she won't be too far behind 

Our sweet Ava James loves to give hugs and kisses. She often comes out of no where just to give you a kiss or hug. She loves to snuggle and watch TV (Elmo or Super Why) or read a book. While she can't crawl into their kid-sized chairs by herself, she loves to sit in them and watch TV or play with a toy. She is so proud of herself whenever she sits in her chair by herself! 

Ava James has learned a lot more words over this past month and continues to talk up a storm. She can now say "Mama," "DaDa," "NaNe (Nonnie)," and "Poppa." She also likes to do the sign for touchdown. She thinks that's really funny. Ava James has also learned to patty cake. She claps her hands and "rolls it." Especially when she is excited. 

One thing we have learned about our little Ava James recently is that she LOVES music. She now dances when she hears music and even giggles or laughs. She especially loves their lamb that sings " Jesus Loves Me." She will rock the lamb and sometimes hum along. 

Ava James is still very sweet and rarely gets upset. If she gets upset it's because someone or something has hurt her feelings. She loves people and waves at everyone that she meets. Her teachers at Mothers Morning Out and care givers in the church nursery have both told us that she simply wants to stand at the door and wave at everyone who walks by. 

As the girls get older I am constantly reminded how short life is. Mainly because they are growing and developing so quickly. The past eleven months have flown by. It's hard to believe that it was a year ago that we were praying for full-term, healthy babies. I've already started to forget how tiny the girls when they were born. 

I am forever thankful for these two precious babies.

10 Months Old!!!

TEN MONTHS- Two months away from their first birthday! THAT IS INSANE!

No checkups this past month, so I am unsure of their weights. But I can assure you that both girls are growing like crazy. They have almost outgrown their 9 month clothes, although 12m clothes are still too big.

Unfortunately, the girls had their first real/bad illness this past month. It started with Hadley and then ended with Ava James getting sick a week or so later. The doctors were sure it was strep but all tests came back negative. Since it was a virus, the doctor couldn't give our poor babies any antibiotic to knock it out. It definitely affected Ava James more than her sister. While both girls ran fevers, we became very concerned when Ava James' fever spiked to 105! Neither Tylenol or Ibuprofen would bring the fever down. Finally, after three days of extremely high fever and very little sleep, Ava James fever broke and she began to feel MUCH better.

Both girls continue to amaze us with their growth and development. It seems like they are learning something new every day. While both girls are extremely close to walking, Hadley is the closest. Both girls can stand unassisted for short periods of time, and can even "dance" standing all on their own. The girls have also developed their own language in the past month. In the past, the girls babbled back and forth, but it wasn't until this past month where they seemed to really understand one another. They will babble and laugh back and forth for up to an hour! Especially if it is nap time. They will stand in their cribs and giggle/babble/blow raspberries back and forth. They continue to throw pacifiers back and forth and sometimes attempt to wake each other up to play. Both girls like to be around their sister and very rarely do they "venture out" on their own.

The girls still take two naps a day and sleep soundly from 7:00pm until 6:00am. They eat three solid meals a day with a bottle in the afternoon. We have incorporated finger foods into their meals now, which they love. Hadley is obsessed with puffs and Ava James loves slices of banana. We continue to try and faze out the bottle by giving them their formula in sippy cups. They are doing very well with the sippy cup and will hopefully be completely off the bottle by their first birthday in two months.

This past month we took a trip to the Georgia Aquarium. The girls Nonnie, Poppa, Uncle Jason, Aunt Meredith, and cousin Harper were also there!

 

The girls LOVED it! It was extremely crowded that day so we didn't get to spend as much time in some of the exhibits as we would have liked. Both girls enjoyed looking at all of the fish! Ava James especially loved the tide pools. She tried her hardest to reach her hands into the water to reach the sting rays and star fish.

 

The girls went "back to school" this past Thursday (Mother's Morning Out). The girls have moved up a class and seemed to really enjoy themselves. They truly love being around people and other babies. I think that is one advantage of being a twin- they already know how to play with others! Although we are still working on sharing and not pushing/pulling one another. They seem to understand these concepts and are doing much better when told "No."

 

I don't think I have mentioned this in the past, but both girls are OBSESSED with Elmo and have been for a couple months now. Any time we bring out our phones or iPad, they look for Elmo. They have two Elmo DVD's that they would wear completely out if we let them! Both girls recognize the name "Elmo" and will get VERY excited at the sight of his picture.

 

The girls have definitely developed their own personalities. Therefore here is more about the girls individually!

 

 

 

Hadley Kate...where do I begin?! She wants to climb anything and everything! She shows no fear of being hurt and bonking her head. Hadley is so tough! There have been many times that she has bonked her head, fallen, etc. and never shed a tear. She gets right back up and tries again- so determined! Sometimes this can be to her disadvantage. Specifically when she is doing something "bad." Hadley had become obsessed with the very large, very heavy mirror above the changing table. She understands "No," but will still test Rusty and I when we tell her not to touch/grab the mirror. She will even hold her hand out like she is going to grab the mirror all while looking at us as if to say, "You mad?"

 

Hadley has begun to lose interest in crawling. She can take up to four steps unassisted!! She walks around our coffee table constantly. She still holds onto the coffee table, but she could definitely walk by herself. The walker has become her new favorite toy and she will become upset if she can't get behind it to walk it down our main hallway. Although sometimes she tries to run over her sister :( It is a learning process! Another favorite toy of Hadley's if my (Katie) old farmhouse toy and farm animals from when I was younger. We stored it on a bottom shelf in the girls room. Hadley will crawl all the way down the hall, through the foyer, down another hall, and into their room to pull out the farm animals and play.

 

Hadley now has THREE teeth! She has two bottom teeth and one top. We can see another top tooth under the skin and it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all. After her first two (bottom) teeth came through, teething has come easy to her. We began brushing her teeth this past month and she LOVES it! She has Elmo toothpaste and an Elmo toothbrush.

 

Hadley can now say several words and say them with meaning. She knows "Da Da," "Ma Ma," "AJ," "Mo(more)," "Na Na (Nonnie),"and "Ooo (Uh Oh)." She will say "Mo" when I am feeding the girls lunch. Since I have to alternate between feeding Hadley and Ava James, she will say "Mo" whenever I am feeding her sister and wants more. She says "Da Da" the most and only says "Ma Ma" when she wants me for something. She thinks it is funny to intentionally fall just to say "Oooo," which is pretty funny. While she doesn't say "Na Na" as often as she says everything else, I know she is genuinely trying to say "Nonnie." The first time she said it was after she watched her Nonnie (my mom) leave the house one day. She was upset and wanted her to come back!

 

Hadley is still very sensitive when it comes to loud noises. Really loud noises are all that scares Hadley! Thunder, barking dogs, boat motors, vacuum cleaners, and loud music has all scared her at some point. She will grab onto whoever is holding her (or want to be held) at the sound of a loud noise.

 

Hadley is very active and very rarely slows down. She will go full throttle until we put her down for nap time or bedtime. On the rare occasion that she does slow down, she loves to snuggle and sometimes gives kisses. The dog gets more kisses that anyone else- which is funny because Bailey (the dog) is still very cautious of the girls. Bailey gets the most kisses during thunderstorms. Bailey is most scared of thunder and Hadley tries to calm her down by kissing her on the head.

 

 

 

Our sweet Ava James. I have never known another baby who is genuinely so happy all the time. She is the easiest baby to take care of! She entertains herself and can often be found giggling and laughing at whatever she is playing with. AJ is more sensitive than her sister and cries more easily when she bonks her head or falls. She especially gets her feelings hurt whenever she is told "No." Ava James became obsessed with the electrical outlets this past month, and could even get the child proof tabs out of them! Therefore she was told "No" many times. As soon as she realized that Rusty or I was not happy with her, she began to pout, cry, and reach out for us. She was so hurt! I can see that she generally wants to please people and keep everyone happy- which she gets from her Uncle Jason.

 

Ava James continues to be our fast crawler! "Turbo," as she has been called over the past month, is so quick that we sometimes have trouble keeping up with her. While she is interested in walking, she still enjoys crawling. She can stand steady on her feet without assistance but has yet to take more than one unassisted step. However, Ava James LOVES to dance. She will stand, by herself, flap her arms, and move her hips back and forth (dancing). As soon as she hears music she is dancing. She loves music. There is one specific song on one of their Elmo DVD's of Elmo tap dancing and she dances the entire time- definitely her favorite.

 

AJ is still is toothless. In fact, we don't really see any signs of teeth in her mouth at all! No buds or anything. However she is very interested in everyone else's teeth. She likes to look/examine teeth and thinks it so funny when you bite your teeth together or "eat" her toys. I often find her trying to give me her pacifier.

 

Ava James is more talkative than her sister by far! While her sister says more words than she does, Ava James will actively try to hold a conversation with people, her sister, or even her reflection in the mirror. She babbles constantly and even makes multiples noises that are too hard to describe. We don't know how she does it! She says "Da Da" constantly and has only said "Ma Ma" a couple of times. She can imitate sounds that you make and has tried to say "Bye Bye" many times- it comes out as "Ba Ba." However, shes doesn't understand that you say "Ba Ba" when someone is leaving. Ava James can wave "Hello" and "Bye Bye" and will sometimes wave just to get your attention. She waves mostly at family and friends, but will sometimes wave to random strangera who aren't looking. She even waves to Elmo on the TV.

 

Ava James loves to give kisses. She specifically loves to give her sister kisses. That is if Hadley sits still long enough for her to give her a kiss. While Hadley will only give certain people (and the dog) kisses, Ava James will give her sister, me, Rusty, Nonnie, Poppa, Uncle Jason, Aunt Meredith, and cousin Harper kisses (or at least try). You can tell she loves her family!

 

 

As always, I will post this and think of a million things that I forgot to include! They are growing up so fast it is becoming harder and harder to keep up with their milestones.

 

I could get all sappy on you here, but I will wait until their first birthday to do that :) I will simply end by saying that we are one blessed family!

 

 

 



"ADVICE"

Dear Mother of one,  

Today I ran into you in the diaper isle of Target. You might remember me. I was the tall, blonde, overly exhausted, sweaty, woman with no make up who was pushing the ginormous twin stroller through the isle in an attempt to buy enough diapers to last us more than a week. I noticed, and you so delightfully informed me, that you have one child- a 14 month old daughter. She was adorable- so precious as she sat in your buggy, alone,...no other children to poke, prod, steal toys from, shove, push, or pull hair. You got frustrated when she tried to pull some baby wipes from the shelf. Other than that, she was perfect. So well behaved! 

Anyways, I am straying away the reason why I am writing this...

As soon as we met in the diaper isle, you "Ooooo"'ed and "Ahhhhh"'ed over my two beautiful girls. I mean, I can't blame you. They are pretty much the most beautiful children in the world. After drooling over my most incredible accomplishments, you immediately noticed what I was shoving into the bottom of "The Russ Bus (my ginormous twin stroller)." Obviously you understood that I couldn't fit both 10 month old children into one single Target buggy, and I couldn't push a stroller and pull a buggy, therefore I had to improvise and use the stroller as a buggy as well. I'm always worried that people think I am shop-lifting, but thankfully you understood that that wasn't the case! Anyways. Back to the diapers. You immediately noticed that I was buying Target brand diapers. Evidently this action triggered something in your mother-to-one-child-brain that made you think that I wanted your advice. You went on a tangent, for 20 MINUTES about the best place to buy diapers, formula, bottles, pacifiers, wipes, diaper rash cream, etc. I tried to be the nice, gracious, southern woman that my Mama raised me to be, but then you said, "Let me think about what other advice I can give you..." 

WAIT, WHAT?!?!?!?!? 

Now, I appreciate the fact that you wanted to "help" me. But believe me, I have it all under control. As a mother of twins, I do the following on a daily basis:

- Feed two babies at once (this involves a lot of wasted food, stained clothes, jealousy, whinning, screaming, and most likely at least one child will end up with applesauce in their eye)

- Change DOUBLE the diapers you do (lots of poop)

- Keep both babies from poking each other in the eye/pushing each other down/pulling each other down/stealing toys from one another/pulling each others hair/trying to pull each others eyelashes (yes,  this really happens)

- While one baby is trying to eat the dogs tail, the other one is trying to pry the childproof plugs out of the electrical sockets. I have to make a decision as to which child I "save" first. 

- Find the time to wash bottles/wash and fold clothes/change sheets/cook dinner while TWO babies need you for various reasons  

- Try to get the girls to go to sleep for a nap or bedtime when all they want to do is stand in their cribs and throw pacifiers at one another, babble back and forth, or giggle at one another for hours on end. 

- Try to bathe one baby while the other one is screaming from their playpen or highchair

- Try to soothe Baby A because they bumped their noggin' when Baby B get jealous because they aren't getting attention and their "partner in crime" is upset and they don't understand why. 

- The ongoing struggle to make sure BOTH girls get the same amount of attention, toys, clothes, etc. 

- While you get to alternate with your husband during the night, when one of my children wakes up, the other one normally does too. Therefore, I am "on-call" all night long, every night. 

-Purposely take the long way home (and then some) because both babies are asleep and you haven't heard "quite" like this in months.

And the list goes on and on....

Maybe I looked like I needed advice. I understand that I looked like a hot mess. But you have ONE child. In my eyes, your life as a mother is a walk in the park. To you, I'm sure it doesn't seem that way. I'm sure you get just as stressed out as I do. However, before you try to advise me as a mother, please understand that I am doing DOUBLE (and then some) what you do on a daily basis. Simply because your UNO child is older than my DOS children does not mean that you could possibly understand my day as a stay at home mom. 

So what this all boils down to is this...

I SHOULD BE GIVING YOU ADVICE. There will come a day when you have a second child. When that day comes, you will understand. Your world will be turned upside down as your oldest tries to feed the newborn baby a small Lego, or poke him/her in the eye, or finally has to understand that their parents are "shared" now. Wine and alone time locked in your bathroom will become the highlight of your exhausting, busy day. 

I hope this letter hasn't offended you, as that was not my intention. I am normally not this arrogant and annoying, I promise. There is only so much generosity and sweetness that this southern belle of twins can contain in her exhausted, saggy body. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this lifestyle for anything in this world. And please do not consider this as complaining - I have the best, most rewarding job on the planet! I love being a stay at home mom- especially to twins! It's exhausting and stressful, but they are my everything. I have the blessing of seeing my babies grow up with their best friend! 

I understand that there are mothers out there that have twins plus one, or triplets, or MORE! And that is absolutely insane to me. Those mothers are real life heroes. REAL. FREAKING. HEROES. I strongly believe that these women have super powers. Seriously. I don't see how they do what they do. Therefore I will never give them advice :) 

Sincerely, 

One Exhausted Mama of Twins 

9 Months Old!

The girls are 9 months old!!! That is only THREE months away from TURNING ONE. Unbelievable.

The girls had their nine month check up with Dr. Trumbull a couple of days ago so I actually have their updated weights! Hadley Kate is 18lbs 5oz., and Ava James was 15lbs 10oz. Both girls are 27 inches tall and growing just as Dr. Trumbull would like for them to. We (Dr. Trumbull) believe that Hadley might have a slight heart murmur, but nothing significant enough to need further testing or monitoring. I (Katie) also had a heart murmur when I was about the same age that I eventually grew out of.  Dr. Trumbull was pleased with their diet and schedule. Both girls eat three meals a day now, each followed by formula. They also have a "snack bottle" mid-afternoon. We are slowing fazing the bottles out by putting their formula (and water) in sippy cups. Ava James has taken to her sippy cup like a pro. Hadley is still unsure and would prefer a bottle. The girls have also done away with one of their naps. Instead of taking naps at 8:30am, 12:30pm, and 4:00pm, they now only take two naps at 9:00am and 1:00pm. They normally sleep for about an hour and a half for each nap. While we were at the doctor, both girls had their fingers pricked to check for iron deficiency. Ava James was quite upset, but Hadley didn't even cry! She watched the nurse the entire time and never shed a tear. Both girls had excellent blood counts and no sign of iron deficiency. Dr. Trumbull was also excited about the girls crawling and ability to walk with the help of a walker. He said that the girls are actually "advanced" when it comes to mobility.

The girls seem to have grown up more in the past month then they have anytime in the past. The girls are now outgrowing all of their 9 month clothes- especially Hadley! Also, both girls are ALL OVER THE PLACE. They are both extremely fast crawlers- especially Ava James. Her Daddy is a fast runner, so obviously she takes after him. Both girls can pull up on furniture, child gates, toys, and even each other. They can stand completely on their own for a few seconds before losing their balance. They like to "test the waters" by pulling up on furniture and then letting go. Like I mentioned before, both girls can walk with the assistance of a walker. Hadley is more interested in walking than Ava James. I think Ava James would be more interested in walking if she wasn't such a fast crawler!

The girls continue to become closer to one another, love spending time with each other, and have even began playing with each other. With both girls crawling, they have the ability to split ways and go in separate directions. Thank goodness they don't! They go every where together. If we take the girls into separate rooms they normally become very upset. They often sit on each other (not really sure why) and never seem to mind being sat on. You can tell they love each other and generally enjoy each others company. Ava James LOVES to give her sister kisses (see picture below)!

The girls also continue to babble and talk more. They even talk to one another more than they have in the past. Both girls are still fairly limited as to what they can say, but more on that later.

The girls are starting to learn how to share! The girls never get upset when their sister steals their toy or pacifier, but I have a feeling that is short lived. We have been working on NOT stealing/snatching toys and pacifiers from each other. I can tell this will be an ongoing lesson for many years!

We rearranged the girl's room this past month by moving their cribs. Their cribs were directly beside each other. Nap time had become impossible with the cribs side by side. The girls were standing in their cribs (which resulted in lowering their cribs), talking and laughing at one another, and even throwing pacifiers at each other. If one girl woke up before her sister, she would stand at the end of her crib and wake her sister up. Sometimes they would even throw pacifiers at one another to wake each other up. So needless to say, we were forced to move Hadley's crib to a separate wall and away from Ava James' crib.

The girls had their first Fourth of July over the past month. We spent several days at the girls grandparent's house (Nonnie & Poppa's) on Lake Jordan. The girls Uncle Jason, Aunt Meredith, and cousin Harper were also there.

(The girls with cousin Harper)

Although we had big plans to get the girls on the boat, go swimming, and generally spend a lot of time outside, Mother Nature had other plans. Unfortunately it rained the ENTIRE TIME. Therefore we spent the majority of our time inside. The girls had a lot of fun with their cousin Harper, so it was still a good holiday!

Another big event over the past month was the girls first time spending the night away from home without Mama and Daddy! Although we love our girls, Mama and Daddy needed some rest and relaxation. The girls spent three days (two nights) at their Nonnie & Poppa's while we were in Orange Beach, Alabama. Although Ava James had one rough night, overall the girls did very well! Or maybe I should their Nonnie and Poppa did very well? Either way, everyone had fun! The girls were spoiled by their Nonnie and Poppa and we were able to go to a Dave Matthews Band concert and spend some time on the beach. The girls were even treated to a concert by their Poppa! Their Poppa played the guitar for them and even let them bang on the guitar strings. Hadley was a little more cautious, where as Ava James danced along to the music.

 

Here is some more about the girls at nine months...

 

Hadley Kate is still our active girl. She is into EVERYTHING. Hadley especially loves to do all the things that Mama has told her not to. She has learned the meaning of "No, No," and likes to test just how far her Mama will let her go. She most often gets told "No, No" because she is trying to pull paper out the trash can, pushing on the fire place screen, stealing a toy from her sister, or pulling on house plants. I often hear giggles right before Hadley does something that she knows she is not supposed to. Hadley also LOVES to climb. We built Bailey (the dog) stairs to get on the bed- Hadley LOVES to crawl all the way up them! She is such a good climber that she can climb the stairs all by herself (although we don't let her). Hadley's vocabulary has grown over the past month. She can now say "Da Da." "Ma Ma," and even "AJ." We have heard her call her sister several times. Hadley is very interested in walking and prefers to stand in opposition to sitting. She can walk very easily with her walker, but would rather try to walk on her own. She can stand completely on her own for short periods of time. I believe she will walk very soon! Hadley is still a good eater and doesn't seem to be picky at all. We are having a harder time weaning her off of her bottle, but she is slowing but surely warming up to her sippy cup. Possibly Hadley's biggest accomplishment this past month (not sure if you really call this an accomplishment, but you get the point) is that she has a tooth!!! One of her bottom teeth came in while Rusty and I were in Orange Beach. We had been seeing it under gums for weeks, and she had definitely been fussier than in the past, so it was no big surprise when it popped through one night while she was sleeping. It won't be must longer until her second tooth comes in. We can see it under her gums as well. Hadley loves to play peak-a-boo and thinks its hilarious if you throw a blanket or burp cloth over her head. She has also began to patty cake! Hadley rarely meets a stranger, but will get upset if stranger gets too close. She greets everyone with a smile :) Hadley is definitely a Mama's girl and is more sensitive than you would think. She gets her feelings hurt easily, but is quick to forgive. Hadley is our tough girl. As I mentioned before, she didn't even flinch while getting her finger pricked at the doctor. She very rarely cries if she bonks her head or falls while standing or trying to walk. If she does cry, we know she is really hurt!

 

Ava James continues to come out of her shell. She is still our sweet, snugly girl, but she has developed quite the mischievous side. It is still a sweet mischievous side though. She loves to steal her sister's pacifier (even if she is crying at the time), toys, and even bottle/sippy cup. However, she is still quick to her give her sister kisses on the forehead or get upset if her sister gets upset. She is so sweet that she even gives baby dolls kisses! Ava James has began to wave. She will randomly wave at people (especially Rusty and I) and even waves at people on the TV. AJ still loves to babble. She hasn't spoken any new words since last month, but I think that is mostly because she has been too busy with crawling. She still babbles a lot and loves to "sing." If you blow a raspberry, she will copy you and make a game of it. She loves to play peak-a-boo but would rather "feed" you her toys and pacifiers. Ava James also dances quite regularly. If she hears music, she will flap her arms or sway her hips if she is standing. Like her sister, Ava James has also began to learn the meaning of "No, No." Normally we only have to tell AJ "No, No" once before she is on to something new. Ava James has developed an obsession with Bailey's dog crate. We aren't really sure why, but she loves to sit next to the crate, babble, and sometimes try to crawl inside. I have a feeling it won't be much longer until she tries to evict Bailey. Ava James doesn't have any teeth yet, but she is certainly teething. Out of the two girls, Ava James is most definitely our more accident prone child. She seems to get herself into the worst positions which normally ends in a bonked head. AJ will even run into walls or furniture while "turbo crawling" through the living room. It is must harder to gauge how "hurt" Ava James is sometimes since she is such a sensitive baby.

 

As always, I'm sure I have missed a thousand things. They grow and develop so much every week (even every day) that it is sometimes hard to keep up with everything.

 

They are still our miracle babies and our constant reminders of how mighty our God is. They will never know how much we love them. I never understood how much my parents loved me until they were born! Its incredible!

8 Months Old!!!

Is this real life? Are our babies REALLY 8 months old already? Time is going by too fast!!!

So much has happened over the past month...where do I begin?!

Well for starters, we have TWO crawlers on our hands. Hadley began crawling about a month ago, but not very well. It really wasn't until the beginning of June when she took off. Her sister wasn't far behind. Ava James became an expert crawler about a week ago. Needless to say, we definitely have our hands full now! Hadley is absolutely fearless. She enjoys crawling over things. This includes people, her sister, the bottom of the coffee table, pillows, and anything else that gets in her way. Every evening, like clock work, she takes a "stroll" down the hall, and into the kitchen. I'm guessing that this is her way of telling me that she is ready for dinner! Ava James can crawl very well, but would rather stay close to her Mama. She doesn't stray too far. Compared to her sister, she is MUCH easier to keep up with. Thanks to the girls new mode of transportation, Mama and Daddy ordered a playpen this week. Mama is VERY thankful that it is set to arrive TOMORROW!

Another big event of the past month was our family vacation to Panama City Beach, Florida.

The girls Nonnie, Poppa, cousin Harper, Uncle Jason, and Aunt Meredith were all there. They thoroughly enjoyed having their cousin Harper there. Harper always made sure that the girls had their paci and that they always had a toy to play with.

While at the beach the girls got to swim for the FIRST time! Our condo had a small, personal pool that the girls really enjoyed.

Ava James warmed up to the water immediately. I don't think she even flinched. As soon as we put her in the water she began splashing and laughing. It took a little longer for Hadley to feel comfortable in the pool. Once she felt comfortable she began splashing and jumping. By the end of the trip, both girls were voluntarily putting their faces in the water and were not bothered by being splashed in the face (normally by their sister) at all.

 

The girls also went onto the beach for the first time!




Ava James loved it. She didn't even mind the waves washing over her feet. Hadley, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. She was fine at first, but then became more and more uncomfortable. This could have been because she hadn't had a nap yet!

The girls also spent a day at the lake for their Nonnie's birthday. They got to go swimming again, but this time in a smaller, inflatable pool. They LOVED it. Mama (me), being an ex-swimmer, is very proud of her water bugs!!!

(Mohawks compliments of their Daddy)

 

 

The girls haven't had a doctors appointment, but I can tell you that both girls are growing like crazy. Both girls wear 6-9 month clothing which seems to get smaller and smaller every day. They eat three meals of solid food each day (followed by a bottle), and one "snack" bottle in the afternoon. Ava James is our picky eater where as Hadley will eat anything you put in front of her. Ava James mostly likes fruits, but also enjoys sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash. She does NOT like meat. Most of the time we have to trick her into eating her dinner (this meal almost always includes a meat) by playing peak-a-boo. If she is slightly distracted she doesn't even realize she is eating meat! Like I said before, Hadley will eat anything and seems to be hungry ALL THE TIME. I think she would eat all day if we let her. As far as sleep goes, the girls are sleeping EXCELLENT. They go to bed at about 7:30pm and sleep until 6:00 the next morning. We (Mama and Daddy) finally moved out of the guest bedroom, which is next to their nursery, and back into the master bedroom.

It will not be too much longer until we have to rearrange their room. As of today, the girls cribs stand next to each other (within arms reach). Both girls can pull up in their crib now (lowering the cribs is on our "to-do list" THIS WEEK) and constantly stick their arms and legs out of the crib. It is only a matter of time until they figure out that they can reach one another.

Now here is some more about the girls at 8 months...

Hadley is fearless. There is no other way to put it. She is not afraid of diving off the couch head first or crawling over a tall pile of pillows, toys, bumbo seats (which she can escape from now), or bouncy chairs. Thankfully, she is tough. Being a parent of twins, its harder to drop everything and run to your child every time he/she cries. This isn't a problem for Hadley. If Hadley is crying, it is normally because something isn't going her way, not because she's hurt. She bonks her head and falls down (from pulling up) constantly but never complains. She is an excellent crawler and uses that to her advantage. She is all over the place and is into everything. She doesn't enjoy the jumperoo anymore. Well, I take that back...she doesn't enjoy being IN the jumperoo anymore. If her sister is in the jumperoo she enjoys standing on the outside by herself. She is fairly good stander but would be even better if she would quit standing on her toes. Hadley loves holding onto someones fingers and walking. She is determined to walk. I have a feeling it won't be long until she is running up and down the hallway. Hadley doesn't talk (baby babble) much at all. I am fairly certain that this is because she is just too busy. She loves to explore and play. She continues to be a happy and sociable baby. Everyone that she comes into contact with is greeted with a smile. Hadley is also our flirt. She is not afraid to flirt with a complete stranger. Hadley also gives kisses CONSTANTLY- Mostly to her Mama, but she will give out kisses to other family members as well.

Ava James is still the sweetest, most patient person I have come in contact with. She seems to always be happy- Even when her sister crawls over and takes her toys or paci away. AJ talks...A LOT. Her only word is "Da Da" right now, but she definitely knows the meaning now. She babbles constantly. It won't be long until she discovers new words, I'm sure! Ava James is a Daddy's girl, through and through. She LOVES when her Daddy comes home in the evenings and always greats him with the biggest smile and a "Da Da." Although AJ can crawl, and crawl well, she would rather play with her books, talk, or roll around. She is very content the majority of the day and requires VERY little attention (unlike her sister). She is still very shy around strangers and will sometimes get upset if someone new invades her personal space. Once you get to know Ava James, she is sweetest little girl you will ever meet. She LOVES to snuggle and give out kisses. I can't even begin to explain how sweet her personality is. She is still very sensitive and will get upset if her sister gets upset or another baby gets upset. Her favorite toy is now the jumperoo. She loves to jump and is a fairly steady stander. She stands flat-footed and very steady as long as you hold her waist or hands. When Ava James does crawl, she has a habit off getting stuck. She gets stuck under the bouncy seats, coffee table, and the jumperoo. We aren't sure if she just enjoys being under things, or what?

Believe it or not, I am sure I have missed so much stuff. They are growing and developing so fast...its unbelievable.

This morning at church the sermon was about praying while in awe of God. Every night before I go to bed I sneak into the girls room, kneel at their cribs, and thank the Lord above for the wonderful miracles that changed our lives. Talk about being in awe...WOW. These two little girls never cease to amaze us. How amazing is our God?! I mean, really. I can't help but look at their faces and see God. Hadley and Ava James are the best thing this side of Heaven. How great is our God!!!

7 Months Old!

Our miracle girls are 7 months old! Still hard to believe! They are growing like crazy and continue to surprise us with their constant changes and development.

No doctors appointments since their 6 month check up, so I am not completely sure of their current weights. However, I can tell you that they have definitely gained weight since their last "weigh-in." I can tell they are also growing longer seeing as all of their PJ's seem to be getting shorter and shorter. Both girls can easily wear 6 month clothing, and Hadley can even wear some 9 month clothing. The girls are now eating two "big girl" meals a day. They eat a serving of fruit in the morning and a serving of veggies at night. Both of these meals are followed by a small(er) bottle. They continue to eat 4 bottles a day (2 bigger bottles mid-day), but we hope to faze one of those bottles out as soon as we start feeding them 3 "big girl" meals a day. Both girls are doing EXCELLENT at eating their big girl meals. Last month, the girls (more so Ava James) would fuss while eating and often turned their head away from the food, refusing to open their mouth to eat. Now they get excited at the sight of ANY food and open their mouth immediately, waiting to be fed. My little birds :)

The girls also tried their new sippy cups for the first time this month!

Ava James took to her new cup a little better than Hadley. Mainly because Hadley thought it was a toy and kept banging it against her Bumbo seat! I'm sure they will get the hang of it. We are going to push the sippy cup a lot more over the next month. I am determined to have the girls off the bottle by their first birthday.

The girls also went on their first boat ride on Memorial Day!

Ava James seemed to enjoy the ride more than Hadley, but I think it was mostly because the life jackets seemed to be VERY uncomfortable for the girls. Towards the end of the ride, both girls were falling asleep!

The girls continue to amaze me each day. It seems like they change so much daily, or even hourly! Both girls can easily get around the living room- mainly by rolling, but Hadley can semi-crawl (more on that later). We were forced to baby proof the living room by clearing off the fire place, putting away TV/computer cords, putting away dog toys, and putting plugs in all of the electrical outlets. The girls reach for and grab objects constantly. Taking them out to eat at a resturant can be difficult seeing as they try to grab everything off of the table. Speaking of grabbing, both girls have developed a deep obsession with their sister's pacifier. The girls take different pacifiers- both the bulb and "handle" on them are different. However, the girls like to steal their sister's paci simply to have it. They don't want to suck on their sisters pacifier, because after all, that is not their specific pacifier, but they certainly don't want their sister to have it either. They often pop each other's bows as well. (Since neither girl has enough hair for a bow, they wear stretchy headbands with bows)  Both girls are also more vocal than they were last month. Where they were squealing and cooing before, they are now making more pronounced sounds (more like words). They laugh A LOT- especially when their Daddy gets home from work. Even if they are in the worst mood, they always smile and laugh as soon as they see their Daddy come in the front door. It is obvious that they love their family and that makes me so incredibly happy. It truly warms my heart. They also seem to love the nursery at church. They now reach for Ms. Libby when we drop them off Sunday mornings. They are currently out of "school" (Mother's Morning Out) for the summer, so they are home with me (Katie) everyday until school starts back in August. As far as sleep goes, both girls are easily sleeping through the night (and have been for a few months now) and very rarely wake up in the middle of the night for anything. Both girls like to sleep on their stomach now, and very rarely sleep on their back. They take 3 naps throughout the day but we hope to faze their last nap out fairly soon. One of the girls "milestones" that they have hit this past month makes my heart swell- both girls can now give hugs and kisses!!!! It started with Hadley, and Ava James soon followed. They like to grab faces and necks (hugs) and follow them up with a BIG kiss on the cheek (or nose, or eye, or wherever). There is no better feeling in the world!

Here is some more about the girls at 7 months...

Hadley is trouble our most active girl! She is basically crawling. In fact, on Memorial Day, she crawled for the very first time!!! It is definitely not a "pretty" crawl, but she is on the move. She was motivated by me sitting on the floor in front of her, eating broccoli. This makes sense seeing as she LOVES to eat- she is a bottomless pit! She crawls mostly on her forearms, like an army crawl, but she can slowing move to wherever she wants to go. I give it until the end of the week before she is crawling like a pro! She can also sit up fairly well on her own as long as she doesn't get too tired. Hadley also likes to jump. She continues to love her jumperoo and will jump for hours. Sometimes she doesn't even have to be in the jumperoo to jump- anyone's lap will do just fine. It has become much harder to hold/carry Hadley since she grabs/reaches for everything in sight. She is very curious and must check everything out. She seems to be fearless and this scares Mama (me) just a bit. She has no problem throwing herself backwards off the couch or out of your arms. The only thing that Hadley seems to fear is loud, sudden noises. She doesn't like be startled and often gets upset if she does. Something as simple as a sneeze can upset her. Talking is also something new that Hadley has accomplished this past month. Although she doesn't know the meaning/association, she can easily say "Da Da," "Da De," (Daddy) and "Bay Bee" (baby). Sometimes when saying "baby" it comes out more like "Eyyy Bay Bee." Very Fonzie from Happy Days. Although she has no clue what these words mean, she will say them when directed. She will watch your mouth, mock the movement, and then speak the word. Rusty was very proud that she first said "Da De."  Hadley has also developed a loud, and I mean LOUD, squeal over the past month. We have no idea where it comes from. It almost sounds like she is upset, but she is happy and often smiles while making the ear piercing noise. As I mentioned earlier, both girls like to steal each other's paci. Hadley takes it to another level by trying to steal every toy from Ava James that she tries to play with. Since Ava James is so laid back, she doesn't mind at all. Hadley also has an obsession with necklaces and hair. She is beginning to understand the meaning of "No No" and instead of pulling hair (and necklaces), she runs her fingers very gently through your hair and will even brush it out of your face in a better effort to see you.

Ava James is still our laid back, sweet girl. She very rarely gets upset about anything and can entertain herself easily. She is such a sweet and loving baby, but is still very cautious around the unknown. Ava James will get her feelings hurt easier than her sister, but mostly when she is tired. She is getting VERY close to crawling. I would say in a couple weeks she will be on the move. Especially since her sister is crawling- she will want to keep up with her! I often find AJ under the coffee table, bouncy seat, and jumperoo. I am still not sure if she enjoys being under things or if she just gets herself under stuff by accident? Either way she seems happy! Ava James has finally found her feet and likes to chew on them. She has also developed a love for jumping! She likes the jumperoo a lot more than she did last month. AJ also likes to stand in your lap and grab faces. Normally this is followed with a sweet kiss. :) Ava James has also began saying "Da Da" which makes her Daddy so proud. She has said a few other words as well, but isn't saying them consistently. She babbles a lot, especially in the car. We have also noticed that Ava James continues to "come out of her shell." She smiles more at strangers (compared to getting upset like she did in the past) and has become more interactive with people. She laughs more and  REALLY enjoys playing peak-a-boo. I often play peak-a-boo with a burp cloth, and she LOVES to pull the burp cloth down before I have a chance to. She likes to "slap" things (more like patty cake) and finds it extremely funny. Every woman has to watch their earrings around Ava James seeing as she likes to pull them. I painfully found this out one morning before church. She continues to stick her fingers/whole hand in peoples mouth. I guess we need to break her of that at some point, but it is so funny to see her face light up when you act like you are "eating" her fingers.

We will be going to the beach this month and I am so excited!!! I can't wait for the girls to experience one of my most favorite places on earth. Both girls really enjoy being outside, so I am sure they will love it. We are going to let them swim (in a float, of course) for the first time among other things. I am sure they will love having their cousin Harper around as well- they love to watch and laugh at her anytime she is around.

Now that the girls are semi-mobile, I am definitely busy. I was busy before, but this is a different busy! Where as before I was constantly washing bottles, wiping hinies, and wiping spit up, now I am grabbing babies before they roll/crawl into somewhere that they shouldn't be and trying to calm them down when they don't get their way. There are good day and bad days, but I wouldn't trade this life for the world. Both girls frustrate me at times, but I still find myself kneeling at their crib at night thanking God for these wonderful miracles that have forever changed my life.

6 Months Old!

I know I say it every month, but I really can't believe they are already 6 months old! That's halfway to ONE YEAR. That doesn't even seem right. It seems like just yesterday that I was patiently impatiently awaiting their arrival!

The girls had their 6 month checkup this past Friday with Dr. Trumbull. As always, Dr. Trumbull was happy with their progress. Hadley weighed 15.2 lbs and Ava James weighed 12.11lbs. Both girls are catching up on their percentiles; Hadley faster than Ava James. Ava James is still our petite girl :) Dr. Trumbull was very excited that both girls love tummy time. He agreed that since both girls can easily rock back and forth while on all fours, that it will not be much longer before they crawl. Neither girls have cut any teeth yet, and Dr. Trumbull seemed to think it would be a while before they do. Our main goal for the up coming months are to start the girls on veggies and fruits, finger foods, some meats, and eventually get to soft table food. The ultimate goal is to have the girls 100% off the bottle by their first birthday. We are hoping to start using sippy cups very soon! Hadley will most like start the sippy cup before Ava James- she is already tiring of the bottle! The girls got the last round of their first few vaccines at this doctors visit. Luckily for them (and Mommy and Daddy too), they don't have to worry about any more shots for a while!

It becomes more and more apparent to us that the girls love each other very much. This makes Rusty and I so proud. They reach for each other constantly and get extremely upset if they aren't within sight and sound of each other. They laugh and smile at each other constantly, and often "hug" each other.

 Ava James likes to steal her sister's paci, and Hadley likes to steal toys. They have begun to "communicate" with each other as well. They dont have there own language, but they will definitely talk to each other. Both girls really enjoy being outside. They love taking walks with their Mama during the day. The girls also LOVE when their Daddy comes home from work. It doesn't matter what mood they are in, their faces will light up and they will laugh as soon as they see their Daddy. Both girls enjoy playing peak-a-boo and often think its hilarious. The girls LOVE Elmo and have become fond of the "FaceTime with Elmo" app on their Mama's phone. They have begun to reach for people, including their Mama and Daddy (of course), Nonnie and Poppa, and even their Mother's Morning Out teacher, Mrs. Diane. They love to get "sugar" and grab the faces of people that they know well. AND FINALLY both girls sleep through the night. They go to bed at about 7:30 and wake the next morning at about 6:00. Since rolling over is very easy for both girls now, they are often found sleeping on their tummies (Hadley more so than Ava James). Ava James can comfortably fit into most 6 month clothing, while her sister can wear up to 9 months. Both girls are constantly reaching for anything and everything and are very good with their hand/eye coordination. Here is some more about the girls at 6 months...

Hadley looks and acts more and more like her Mama every day. This is both good, and bad! :) She is extremely strong! Kicking is a favorite activity of hers. Where before the girls would just kick in the air, now the girls like to kick things. In our double stroller, Hadley likes to kick the back of her sister's seat. Therefore Hadley has been promoted to first (front) passenger. It is because of Hadley that we began to child-proof this house today. She can manage to get herself completely across the room in mere minutes- all by rolling. And like I stated before, she can EASILY rock herself back and forth on all fours. If it wasn't for her right hand, she would be crawling. She can't quite figure out how to get that hand out from under herself. Hadley smiles at EVERYONE, but gets startled easily. Loud noises often scare her and bring out sensitive side. You can tell that she genuinely loves people and will be very social when she gets older. Sleeping has become a lot easier for Hadley over the past month. Where as before she would fight sleep and often have temper tantrums, now she can fall asleep in her crib all on her own. Normally she talks for a while first, but after about 10 minutes she is sound asleep. Over the past month, Hadley has fallen in love with the jumper. She will literally jump for hours- even jump herself to sleep. Hadley loves to be thrown around and shows NO fear. She loves bath time and has figured out how to SOAK her Mama by kicking her feet. I have a feeling she will love swimming at the lake and beach this summer. The majority of the day, when she is not in her jumper, Hadley is eating her toes. She has found her feet and LOVE them.

Hadley continues to want to stand, and can even stand on her own for very short periods of time as long as she is holding onto something. Everything that Hadley touches, also goes in her mouth. She loves her Sophie the Giraffe and her pacifier clip- she chews on both constantly.

 

Ava James is definitely starting to come out of her shell! She pretty much babbles constantly. She has even begun to "mock" what others say. She copied her Poppa several times by repeating "Uh Huh" (sounds a lot like a sigh) the other day while he and their Nonnie were baby sitting the girls. She is still very observant and watches your mouth as you speak to her. She still loves to kick, but has recently started swaying her hips. She raises her booty off the ground with her legs (while on her back) and sways her hips back and forth. She will have strong thighs very soon!!! She also likes to rock back and forth while on all fours. She can easily reach for things while on her tummy and can eventually find her way to where she wants to go- whether is be by rolling or reaching. Ava James LOVES to stick her fingers in other peoples mouths. I guess she wants you to act like you are "eating" her fingers- she finds that extremely funny. So if my child ever sticks her fingers in your mouth, now you know why! Ava James also started on rice cereal this past month!

She pretty much hated it. We aren't sure if its the texture or taste that she doesn't like, but we continue to work with her. Each day she is getting a little better. She isn't a "chewer" like her sister, but she loves to shake all of her toys. She has one specific book that she loves to shake and wave in the air. AJ is more cautious around strangers and often gets upset if a stranger gets too close. She is also the more particular of our two miracles. Her bottle has to be the perfect temperature and she fusses (not that I can blame her) if her diaper is even a little wet. I believe she gets this from her Uncle Jason. :) She loves to be bounced on your knee, but isn't too fond of the jumper quite yet. She is okay for short periods of time, but then starts to fuss and want out. She would much rather be on her tummy or in her bouncy seat kicking her legs.

 

I am not just saying this because they are our children (famous quote by parent's every where), but they are truly the happiest two babies I have ever known. They are constantly laughing and you can tell that they love life. I pray that they always have this happiness. That they don't let the evil and darkness of this world to take that away from them. I learn more and more from these two little girls each and every day. They have changed my life and it has all been for the better. They have softened my heart and renewed the child-like faith that I so desperately needed. Their Daddy and I are so incredibly blessed...my cup runneth over.

 





5 Months Old!

 

How did this happen?! How are my baby girls 5 months old already? It really is flying by. Maybe it is because twins keep you SO busy. Or maybe time really does fly by when your having fun :) A lot is and has happened in the past month! Therefore the need for this EXTREMELY long blog post- I apologize in advance.

 

The most important event from the past month was the girls baptism. On March 17, 2013 the girls were baptized by Pastor Patrick Quinn (the same pastor who married Rusty and I) at Frazer UMC. Rusty and I are so blessed. To see our girls baptized in front of a church that has always been a major part of my life was incredible. And even more so, to dedicate our girls to the Lord was amazing.

 

 

The girls also had Easter pictures taken with their cousin Harper on March 15th. Deborah Batson, the photographer, is a saint. Working with two fussy babies, an active toddler, and three live bunnies is not easy- but she stayed calmed and managed to get some precious pictures. I will say, both girls did pretty good considering they had not napped yet that day. The only issue we had was one bunny used Hadley as a toilet and Ava James tried to eat, yes eat, one of the bunnies. But never the less, it made for some pretty adorable pictures!

 (This was right before Ava James grabbed the bunny's face and shoved his nose/face in her mouth)

 

 

No update from the doctor.- although I'm sure Dr. Trumbull would be happy with their progress. The girls go back to the doctor for their 6 month checkup next month. I have no idea what the girls weigh- and seeing as I REFUSE to keep a scale in the house, we will have to wait until their next appointment to find out! The girls are growing and becoming more and more alert every day. They are picking up on certain things- like their bottles for example. They definitely know what a bottle is! If they see a bottle, you better be ready to feed them! Same with a bib- if you put a bib on them, they want to eat! They are also starting to recognize people and faces. Everyday when Rusty gets home, the girls will smile no matter what mood their are in. They are also beginning to recognize their Nonnie and Poppa. They are more in-tune to each other as well. They will talk to each other, but have not yet begun to respond vocally to each other. They laugh and smile at the sight of their sister- it is very sweet. You can tell they love each other very much, which warms my heart :) They grab each other constantly and love to chew on each others hands and even toes. Both girls have a favorite toy- their Aubie rattle. They think Aubie is hilarious. They also love if you sing the Auburn cheer "Bodda-Getta" to them- they will laugh and laugh. We have recently started them on a new schedule with set nap times and bed time. The girls take naps at 9:00, 12:30, and 4:00- only eating when they wake up. They then go to bed at 7:30. Getting them to stick to the schedule has been a struggle, but it has been so worth it! They are not nearly as fussy as they were before (not that they were ever very fussy)! Both girls are put in their cribs wide awake. This has helped to teach them to fall asleep on their own and stay asleep (no "cat napping"). This is a MAJOR accomplishment! Trying to rock/soothe TWO babies to sleep was a task! Now they cry for only a couple minutes and fall straight to sleep. Both girls wake us up in the morning around 7:00 by talking. We wake up to constant babble over the baby monitor. They never cry in the morning (unless they have a dirty diaper), just talk. We aren't sure if they are talking to one another, or just talking in general. The girls are almost sleeping solid from 7:30pm to 7:00am regularly- that is the goal! Ava James can go from 7:30pm to about 5:00am. Hadley can go from 7:30pm to about 6:45am. They will still wake up hungry, but we are trying to faze that bottle out- slowly, but surely. If they aren't hungry, they seem to sleep fairly solid. Hadley will sometimes wake up wanting her pacifier, but other than that they are becoming fairly good sleepers. Both girls are loving tummy time now and seem determined to crawl. The girls have just about grown out of all of their 3 month clothes, and can even wear some 6 month clothes. Here is some more about the girls at 5 months...

 

Hadley is still our best eater. She can suck down an 8-10oz bottle in no time. Rusty and I finally felt as though she was ready to start on solid foods! She tried rice cereal for the first time last night (see picture below).



She took to it like a pro! At first she was fussy, but I feel like that was more because she hadn't taken her nap earlier that day. She was still unsure about what to do with her tongue. A lot of the cereal ended up on her bib- she kept pushing it out with her tongue rather than swallowing. But after a couple minutes, she was actually crying for more. She would get upset whenever Rusty would take the spoon away. Hadley is also beginning to crawl- well, sort of. She can't quite figure out how to use her arms. If she would move her arms, she would most definitely be on the move- slowly, but she would be moving! She does what we call the "bull dozier crawl." She pushes her body forward with just her legs without the use of her arms. Hadley likes to put EVERYTHING in her mouth- clothes, burp cloths, fingers (including mine, Rusty's and her sister's), hands (including her sister's), feet (mainly her sister's), toys, etc. She is drooling like crazy thanks to teething. No sign of teeth yet, but you can see a glimmer of them under her gums. Hadley's Mothers Morning Out teacher, Mrs. Dianne, and her church nursery care taker, Ms. Libby, always talk about how much Hadley laughs. She loves to laugh at other babies. She generally seems to love people- this makes me happy :) She still loves to be thrown around and has recently tried to start flipping backwards off of your lap (which makes me very nervous). Her "talking" has transformed into a loud squeal in the past couple of weeks- we aren't sure why, but it's hilarious. She squeals at people, toys, and even Bailey- our dog. We have decided that she will be our animal lover. She loves Bailey (and other family pets) and quite often grabs her as she walks by. Bailey has been very good with Hadley considering Hadley puts the death-grip on her regularly. Hadley doesn't fight sleep nearly as much as she used to. However, at night before bed, she likes to play "peak-a-boo." She has learned how to play this game all by herself! While holding her in your lap she will hide her face and then look up and smile at you, only to hide her face again- she thinks it hilarious. If Hadley ever throws a temper-tantrum (which does happen on occasion), she is easily calmed down by being rocked and having someone (me) sing "Jesus Loves Me" to her. Hadley has begun to reach for things and people. Having her reach for me makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

My sweet Ava James is still my cuddle buddy. She loves to eat, just like her sister. She is now eating 6-7oz regularly. We are planning on starting her on rice cereal in a month or so, assuming she is ready. She is still our petite girl, but is growing fast. In the past month her back and neck have gotten VERY strong. She can sit in her Bumbo seat much easier now and doesn't get tired nearly as quick. Ava James is very good with her hands. Holding toys and passing them from one hand to another is becoming the norm for her, along with bringing things to her mouth. She has one particular toy that she will carry around all day long- it is a plastic bug with a ring for her to hold. She also likes to chew on it, of course. Ava James still talks...all the time! She will directly talk to people and toys. She is so observant- she will watch your mouth as you talk to her and then try to make the same mannerisms with her mouth and face. She is the most determined child I have ever known. She is more determined than her sister to crawl! She is constantly rolling over to her belly and trying to crawl. If you flip her over to her back, she will get mad. She loves her pacifier and is constantly taking it in and our of her mouth. She loves to look at herself in the mirror, and thinks it funny to talk to herself. Kicking is still her favorite activity and has her bursts of energy that end in a squeal and violent kicking- it's really kind of funny. She gets very excited when she sees someone she knows and a toy that she is familiar with. Every time we go to get her out of her crib we are greeted with BIGGEST smile- it really makes my day. "AJ," as we call her, is the most easy-going child! She rarely gets upset, and just goes with the flow. She is so much like her Daddy is unreal. The only time she REALLY gets upset is when you try to cuddle with her when she is ready to go to bed. Sometimes she just wants to be left alone to go to sleep on her own (which works good with their new schedule). Around strangers, Ava James is VERY shy. If a stranger can get a smile out of her, she will quickly hide her face and blush- YES blush! She doesn't talk to strangers (which is good- hehe) but likes to watch them. Ava James loves to sleep! Her mid-day nap usually lasts AT LEAST two hours and she sleeps solid through the night until/if she gets hungry.

Believe it or not, I am sure there is so much that I have left out! The girls are constantly developing and hitting new milestones. I personally think they are the most incredible and beautiful children on the planet, but then again I am a little biased :) But seriously...they are the most incredible and beautiful children on the planet! I am so thankful for them both. I begin each day thinking that I can't love these two little girls any more than I do at that moment, and at the end of each day, I do. I swear, my heart could explode with the love that I have for these two little miracles- its incredible. I will never understand what I did to deserve these two little blessings, but I am forever thankful for them both. God has blessed me beyond measure...