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!
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...
