Random Ramblings

The past few days have been fairly uneventful, just filled with chores and errands. I was beginning to get bored of my surroundings so I rearranged Aidan's room, the girls' room, and the living room on Saturday. That's the extent of the excitement around here!

The girls are doing well. Cassidy is sitting independently for quite long stretches now. She sat for nearly ten minutes last night! They aren't crawling, but Candace has become more mobile. They both move now with a purpose and goal, as opposed to just rolling and scooting because they can. They will see something that sparks their interest and try to get to it. Last night Candace wanted to get to her Daddy who was sitting on the floor across the room with Cassidy, so she figured out an inch worm + rolling combo to get to where she wants to be. It is so cute and clever! Also, in the past week or so they have begun to do the sweetest thing, they lift their arms up to me when they want me to pick them up or hold them. It melts my heart!

On a less positive note, Candace has been VERY fussy the past couple days and has been spitting up and vomiting frequently, both indicators that she still has an allergy to the milk and soy I reintroduced. So it looks like I'll be milk and soy free for another 6 months. It is a small sacrifice for me to make to be able to give the girls all the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding. We will wait until next weekend to start cereal so all the milk proteins can get out of both of our systems.

Since it's been a few days, I have lots of pics to share!

I had to get pics of the girls in these onesies before they outgrow them! One of the activities at my baby shower was to decorate onesies, so these were made by a friend at my shower. Thanks Mandi and thanks again Mom and Jen for the awesome baby shower!




This isn't the best quality, but I love Cassidy's expression in this one.


Aidan playing with Candace, she loves to grab people's faces!




Cassidy somehow managed to get under the playmat, lol!



Wonder what Candace is dreaming, she looks like she's thinking hard!


Cassidy playing

Jump Around

I was starting to wonder if the girls were ever going to figure out their jumperoo. They've been sitting in it for nearly two months now and aside from the occasional little bounce, they just didn't really seem to "get it." They were very content to just sit in it playing and gnawing on their toys. Well, Cassidy has finally figured it out! She is now our little jumping bean....

6 Months Old!!!

The girls are 6 months old today and despite the sleepless nights, colicky evenings and struggles in the very beginning, the time has gone so quickly! I am in a little bit of shock and denial that they are really 6 months old and already halfway through the first year. Each month passes quicker than the last!

I am truly enjoying this age. They are so social and fun! I love their big smiles,little giggles, and looks of curiosity as they explore the people and world around them. They are only fussy when overtired, which is rare now that we have a solid nap schedule, and they are finally going three hours between nursing sessions. We can go places and do things now with more freedom and without fear of major meltdowns!

Here's a brief summary of what each is doing at 6 months:

Candace
Rolls both ways constantly to get where she wants to be, our roly poly!
Quick to smile at everyone, but slower to laugh
Grabs and inspects EVERY object within reach... including her sister!
Babbles and "talks," especially to Daddy
Still regularly munches on her toes
Is in LOVE with Big Bird (they watch a Sesame Street video during dinner/baths)

Cassidy
Sits unassisted for up to a minute
Can roll both ways, but prefers to roll onto her tummy and then scoot around
Shy with most strangers, but has lots of grins and giggles for us
Babbles and "talks"
Her new favorite game is "Peek-a-boo", especially with Aidan
Thinks Aidan is the funniest and most fascinating person in the universe

We are currently working on sleeping through the night and sitting. I'm in no hurry for them to crawl as that is just more work for me, lol! Besides, if they're anything like their brother Aidan, they'll skip crawling and go right to walking. Really I'm just trying to enjoy the stage they're in right now, we're in no hurry to reach all the "big" milestones. I DO want them to sit soon because that will make things easier, but otherwise I'm not pushing them to crawl, walk, talk, etc. They are bright, happy, healthy babies and they will do these things when they are ready.

I posted their six month weights in the doctor appointment post. Both are in the 10-25% for height and weight. They are just not big girls! They are both healthy, growing steadily and have more than doubled their birth weight, they're just my petite little princesses. After all, it's not like they have big parents, lol!

We are still watching for Candace's reaction to the little bit of dairy I've reintroduced. So far so good! We have not had any major problems, but we will still wait to start solids until after I have determined if she is still milk/soy intolerant. I am looking forward to starting cereal and having something new for them to experience. Those will be fun pics!

All in all it has been an exhausting, but extremely rewarding, 6 months. I am eager to embrace all that the next six months has to offer! I am so incredibly grateful everyday to be blessed with TWO, gorgeous, sweet, amazing little girls!

Cassidy Sitting Pretty




Candace TRYING to Sit, LOL




6 Months Old!

Doctor Appointment

Well since yesterday's post turned into quite the long rant, LOL, I will keep today's short and sweet!

The girls had their 6 month check-up today. They are healthy, thriving babies (of course!) Candace weighs 15 lbs. 2 oz. and is 25.25 inches and Cassidy is slightly smaller at 14 lbs. 14 oz. and 24.75 inches. The poor things had to get four shots, but thanks to the miracle of Tylenol they have been fine today. The pediatrician gave me the go ahead to slowly and cautiously try to reintroduce milk and soy back into my diet to see if Candace has outgrown her intolerance. I had a little bit of cheese on my tacos tonight, so we'll see. Fingers crossed! I will start them on solids in a week or two after we have assessed the reintroduction of the milk and soy. He also advised that they can and should probably be sleeping through the night at this age, so if we want we can begin nighttime sleep training. I'm still not sure I'm ready to let them cry all night, so we may wait on that.

I'll post again with a more thorough update and lots of pics on Wednesday when the girls are technically 6 months!

Here's a couple pics of Candace in her crib tonight...I think it may be time to remove the bumper, lol!

My Irresponsible Husband

I love Sean, I really do, but sometimes I really wonder what he's thinking! Why do men often behave as boys? He is an excellent provider, husband and father, and he DOES do so many things right, but he made a very questionable decision recently. Men!

About a month ago our television broke. It was an older TV and had been moved from Hawaii to Arizona to Florida, so I suppose we should have seen it coming. Unfortunately it gave us no warning, it just wouldn't turn on one day. We have only one other TV in the house, Aidan's small 19", so after just one day of watching that we knew we needed a more permanent solution. Well TVs aren't cheap and of course Sean didn't want to "settle." I do understand since it is something we will be using for years to come. Anyway, we opened a Best Buy account and got a pretty nice TV.

Fast forward to this week....we got the Best Buy bill with our first payment due. It was much less than we anticipated and budgeted. So, instead of doing the responsible thing and deciding to just pay the higher amount we had budgeted (paying it off sooner AND with less interest) my dear husband, without my consent or input, decided to go buy an X-Box 360 and a bunch of games to go with it and put it on the Best Buy account. I guess his intent was to get a WII but they were sold out and not only is my husband irresponsible, he is also very impatient. GRRRRR!!!!!

Now I will give him some credit, he did at least buy games we can all play together. We all really rock out on Rock Band! Our band is called "The Pirates," LOL. Aidan has gotten really good at guitar/bass and Sean and I switch places on drums and the second guitar/bass. He also got the American Idol karaoke game and Dance, Dance Revolution. As angry as I was at him, I have to admit I am actually enjoying playing these games together as a family.

So anyway, that's how we've been spending our evenings after the girls go to bed and also why I haven't posted many blogs this past week!

I will post an update on the girls tomorrow after their 6 month check-up. They won't technically be 6 months until the 23rd, so I'll post another update and lots of pics then also. I do have some exciting news though...Cassidy is sitting! Not more than about a minute at a time, but that's definitely progress!

See for yourself (forgive my lousy camera work, I was trying to be ready in case she fell)



Also, here's Candace giving us a piece of her mind. You can see why we call her our little gremlin, LOL!

Caffeine

With very few exceptions I have avoided caffeine since I got pregnant with the twins over a year ago. I know it's not good for me or for the girls when I nurse them. So aside from the first couple weeks of withdrawl, it has been an easy sacrifice to make. Well last night Sean brought me home a 20 oz. Pepsi. He knows I'm not drinking caffeine, but it was actually a thoughtful, although slightly selfish, gesture. Thursday night is a big TV night for us (Office, Survivor, Scrubs, Earl) and he wanted me to stay up and watch all of them with him. We TIVO all of it, so usually we only watch one or two and save the rest for the weekend. So he brought me the Pepsi so the caffeine could help keep me up.

I decided to drink it. What harm is one little Pepsi? OMG!!! I didn't fall asleep until nearly 2 am! I apparently have NO tolerance for caffeine anymore. For the first hour or two after I drank it I felt like I was on fast forward. I talked faster, moved faster, and couldn't sit still! I was so worried about the affect it would have on the girls, but thankfully it didn't seem to phase them one bit. So lesson learned - no caffeine for me past noon, lol!

As for the girls, the nap scheduling adjustment has gone really well. I was VERY consistent this week so I know that helped! They are now taking only 3 naps instead of 4. They wake around 7:30, nap at 9:30, 12:30 and 3:30 and go to bed at 6:30. Candace goes down for all three naps AND bedtime with zero crying! Cassidy is still my stubborn one. She will go down easy for the first two naps, but still protests a little for the third nap and bedtime, usually no longer than 10-15 minutes. Their naps are still only 45 minutes long, but there's not much I can do about that. Candace would sleep longer, but then they'd be on different schedules so I have to wake her when Cassidy wakes.

The job hunting is going well. Aidan's teacher has become my ally and is putting in a good word for me with the principal. She is a highly respected teacher so her recommendation means a lot! She has also given me the names of contacts she has at other nearby schools and sent out e-mails telling them about my "wonderfulness" as she put it, lol. I feel very confident that if for some reason I can't get one of the positions at Aidan's school, there will be something for me at another close school. Keep sending those good vibes!

Aren't they so pretty?





They started out laying side by side on their backs....not quite sure how Candace managed this one, lol!

The Nap Saga Continues!

Starting today we are trying to get back on a routine for naps. Over spring break we were very inconsistent with naps and bedtimes. I am using this opportunity to try to transition them to three naps, instead of four. I have read the HIGHLY recommended sleep book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" at least a dozen times. The pediatrician who wrote it is supposedly a "sleep expert" and he suggests that at the girls' age they should be waking around 7 am and napping at approximately 9 and 1, with an optional third nap around 4, and a bedtime between 6 and 8 pm. He is also an advocate of letting them cry, if need be, so they can learn to self-soothe. I never would have thought I could let my child cry... but then I had twins!

So we will use his methods for a few days and see how it goes. My problem has always been consistency, but the next few days I will follow his method faithfully come h*** or high water! I'm still going to hold off on any type of night sleep training for now because they genuinely seem hungry when they wake in the middle of the night. Also, it is just easier to get up and feed them since they go right back to sleep than to let them cry and keep me up!

We tried the three naps today and they did surprisingly well. I put them down at 9, 12:30 and 3:30 and they slept for approximately 45 minutes each time, with only about 15 minutes of crying from one or the other. As for bedtime, I put them down at 6:15. Candace went right to sleep with no crying, woke at 7 and cried for about 15 minutes, and is now back to sleep. Cassidy cried for about 30 minutes before falling asleep, woke at 7:15 (I'm sure from Candace's crying)and didn't go back to sleep until 8. She is a stubborn little thing! Part of her problem is that she rolls onto her tummy and can't get back over, but according to the "rules" I am not supposed to go in and roll her over, in fact, I am not supposed to go in AT ALL!

It is SOOO hard listening to them cry, but after TONS of research on the topic and other's success stories, I am convinced that I am NOT traumatizing them for life and that I am helping them develop good sleep habits. If I had a singleton I may feel very differently about it, but when you have TWO babies, it is hard to use any "gentler" strategy and if I just "go with the flow" I will never sleep and never get a break during the day!

This is how I find Cassidy now after most naps! It is nearly impossible to keep her on her back in the crib and on the floor.




Cassidy is SO yummy!

Back to School Soon.. for ALL of Us!

With all the boys being home, Sean included, it has been hard for me to find the time to sit and write a blog. Even when they aren't here, I am cleaning up after them and trying to get the girls back on schedule from all the disruptions! I have also been using my few spare moments to update my resume and portfolio. I found out that Aidan's school, which is literally in our backyard, has four open positions for next year!

I had been on the fence about whether or not I wanted to return to work or stay home another year, and I was actually leaning more towards staying home. However, lately I have really started missing teaching. As much as I adore my girls and love that I can spend so much time with them as a SAHM, I miss the fulfillment and feelings of purpose and accomplishment I get from teaching. I will still have plenty of time to spend with them if I work so close to home because I will be home by 3:00 and have all holidays and breaks off!

We were a little worried about the daycare costs for two infants and finding openings with a high-quality, certified center, but the waiting list at our first choice is much shorter than I anticipated. It is only a couple minutes from our house, if that, and it is much less expensive than we thought it would be. It seems that everything is falling into place so perfectly! Hopefully I will get one of the four positions. If not, I also plan on applying at a couple of the other schools that are nearby. I refuse to have a long commute like I did last year!

Here's a very brief recap of our week so far:

Monday - Sean took Chase to Busch Gardens to ride the roller coasters. They are both dare devils and LOVE fast, heart-pounding rides. However, Aidan is a chicken just like his mama, lol, so he opted not to go. I took him to the park with the girls instead. Both boys had a great day!

Tuesday - The boys played outside most of the day and we had a few errands to run. Not a super exciting day, just a busy day!

Wednesday - My friend Kelly and her kids came over. Her son Ethan is the same age as Aidan and Chase. There was a little jealousy about who was who's friend, but overall they all played really well together. She also has an 8 month old and a 3 year old. Her littlest one, Kara, has just started sitting and crawling. It is crazy to think the girls will be getting around like that in just a couple months!

Thursday - Sean took the boys to the beach. They had a lot of fun splashing in the waves! I really wish I could have taken the girls along, but they have been very cranky this week with all the noise and disruption to their normal schedule. We stayed home and I worked on my teaching portfolio.

Friday - Sean and the boys were on the road all day. Sean met Andy, Aidan's biological father, at the FL/GA border. Aidan will be staying with his dad all weekend. I already miss him, but it is good for him to spend time with his father. I used the day alone as an opportunity to clean the house and run a few errands.

Today Sean took Chase out to lunch and then to pick out a new game for his Nintendo DS. I am looking forward to the quiet afternoon! Unfortunately I don't have many pictures from this week. Sean has been taking the boys places, but never takes the camera and the girls have been so cranky they haven't given me many photo opps!

Sean's New Do... lol!



Candace in the Bumbo



Daddy Playing with the Girls



Aidan's Oddly Shaped Sunburn After the Beach Excursion - He was NOT happy about having his picture taken! (Sean claims to have slathered him in sunscreen, but the pattern on his face tells a different story!)



I also managed to get this cute video! We bought Cassidy a Bumbo seat after seeing how much she liked Jake & Ryan's. So, she was wearing these cute pjs with animal faces on the feet and sitting in the Bumbo where she could see them. She was enthralled with them and kept trying to grab at them, lol!

Animal Feet

Day at the Park

Yesterday we had a wonderful day at the park near our house. Sean played football with the boys and the girls got to try out the swing. It was overcast, but that made for perfect not-too-hot weather. Although we fortunately timed it well because just minutes after we got home the rain started pouring down!

Last night was a rough night. I was up every half hour with Cassidy because she kept rolling over onto her tummy and couldn't get back over. She was like a turtle in reverse, lol! It was kind of cute and funny the first time, but got really old at 2 am after the third or fourth time! I finally had to bring her into bed with us so I could keep her from rolling over. Oh what a glorious day it will be when they finally sleep through the night!

Here are some of the pics we took at the park. We finally got the required twin swing pic! They actually seemed to enjoy it, but as usual, I couldn't get Cassidy to look at the camera.


















Finally, a pic of ALL of our beautiful kiddos! Aidan is holding Cassidy and Chase is holding Candace. Chase looks a lot taller than Aidan, but it is just the way he is sitting, he is really only about an inch taller. They are like Bert and Ernie though, Aidan shorter and plumper with a round head, Chase taller and skinny with an oval head, lol!