Oh ya, Matteo is 11 months old now.

I think its clear that Matteo is definitely neglected.  At least when it comes to my dedication to chronicling his infancy.  Let's hope he doesn't hold it against me.

I missed his 10 month old post altogether - mostly because I was in Montreal celebrating my 30th birthday but is that really an excuse?  :)  What I would have said in that post is that is got two teeth and has only bitten me a few times.  That he is saying "mama" and "dada/papa" and waving.  But all that's old news now.

His 11th month has been even more fun than his 10th.  He is taking baby steps, literally.  He knows how to "do" the hat song - those of you in EI know what I'm talking about.  I'm pretty sure he is signing "all done."  He has added "hi" and "uh-oh" to his vocab.  "Uh oh" is his favorite because he gets to drop something on the floor and then say "uh oh" over and over and over and over again.  He's learning to climb the stairs which is not so fun because he hasn't mastered the not-falling-down-once-you're-a-few-steps-up part.

He still loves to eat shoes, paper and chalk.  He has taken to attacking Sebastian when Sebastian is getting a diaper change.  Or he tries to grab the dirty diaper.  In other news, I really need to potty train Sebastian.  Let's just say I was right when I said it would be hell on earth training him.

Eating and sleeping are still great.  Of the three, Matteo is my best eater.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts because that toddler-picky phase will be here before I can say "just one bite, for god-frickin'-sake!!"  While two naps a day are going very well, I am planning to switch him one nap by the start of school.  I know that way early but it will make school drop off much easier.  Not to mention I don't want to be stuck at home now that I'll finally have some time to get stuff done without the twins in tow.  We'll see.

One other thing I notice with Matteo is just how much he learns from Sebastian and Collette.  The Hat song is one example.  He also plays with cars (like, actually pushes them along the floor just like Sebastian and Collette do), tries to do puzzles, uses drum sticks on the drum, etc.  It makes me grateful that they get all this time together.  Not to mention the fact that Sebastian and Matteo have become like peas and carrots.  Watching them play together is just too cute.  The stuff us parents live for.

And here my littlest man in his chair.  Filling it up too quickly.

Boy, does he look like his Daddy. :)

9 Months Old and Making Mischief

Oh yes, its that time. The time when the baby becomes a force to be reckoned with. And Matteo is hitting it right on track.

Truthfully, 9 months is one of my favorite ages. The crawling means he can get into everything but he is so happy to explore on his own. And I am starting to get glimpses of the kind of person he's going to become now that he has this independence. He's curious, determined, affectionate, engaging and fun-loving. It's so nice getting to know him. Even while he is eating sidewalk chalk, shoes and paper.

He is learning to pull up, which means I have to kick the baby-proofing into high gear. Or any gear. My house is currently not baby-proofed at all We had to move his crib down from the highest setting to one of the lowest - another milestone!

Also, much to my satisfaction, he has learned how to take a sippy cup. We let him try the straw cups that Sebastian and Collette use and he was able to figure it out pretty quickly. Now, whenever he sees them with their milk, he tries to steal it away. I'm sure this will be a recurring theme throughout his childhood, for better or worse. For now, I'm just glad that I can have someone else feed him. Plans are in the works for an adult-only weekend away to celebrate my big 3-0. More on that later. :)

As far as his schedule, things are still pretty much the same. Two naps, goes to bed around 6:30 and gets up around 6/6:30 in the morning. It can be hard to get him up from his first nap in time for the twins' classes but so far we have managed to fit it all in and not disturb Matteo much.

All in all, 9 months is looking great! He is still my happy little boy.

I think he is going to have Collette's hair. I was looking at pics of Colie from this age and her was only just starting to curl. As you can see in the chair picture, he is rocking the faux hawk - that's au natural, folks. He's going to need a haircut soon. Oy. My baby is growing up!!

8 Months old for Matteo

Matteo's eighth month was somewhat uneventful, as he seems to be working on a lot of the same things he was last month. Here is a quick snap shot of my Tater Tot over the past month:

• Crawling backwards very well, not so much forward. In the past week or so, he has perfected his downward dog.
• Eating more table food. In the past month, he has tried crab cakes, quiche (also with crab...), puffs, apple bread, croissant, french toast, mango (pieces and in the mesh feeder), different kids of beans, shredded cheese, squash (pieces and in the mesh feeder), potatoes, and rice.
• Gets mad when I walk by him and don't pick him up. Actually, distraught might be a better way to describe the emotion. And the face he gives me is just heartbreaking...
• New love affair with the tupperware cabinet. I am fine having the tupperware all over the floor if it means peace, quiet and both of my arms free while I'm cooking.
• Still won't take a sippy cup or bottle. Grrr.
• Has been waking up on his belly lately, or at least he's on his belly by the time I get in there.
• Loves to chew on paper and shoes. Must have picked that up from the dogs.
• Sleeping better overall. His naps are much more consistent, I would say. Down from 8/830 - 930/10 for the AM nap and from 1230/1 - 230/3 for the afternoon nap. Bedtime is still between 6 and 630.
• Still very ticklish :)
• Eyes haven't turned brown yet...maybe they won't?

Here is my handsome guy, all smiley for his 8-month chair picture:

7 Months

My little Tater Tot is 7 months old today. This has been a very enjoyable age, especially since he is now 100% sleeping through the night and on a very predictable nap schedule. He's now dropped that third nap and takes his second nap right after the twins go down. His first nap is on the early side, between 8 and 8:30, so that he can wake up early enough for us to get out and about.

While he perfected sitting up last month, this past month has been all about moving. He isn't crawling yet but damn, does he want to! This boy never loved being on his belly but now I find him that way all the time, trying to get up on those knees. I wonder how long it will take him to figure it out.

The only "issue" we're having is with eating. he still doesn't like to be spoon fed but also won't eat soft pieces of food. Mommy Esq. gave us some of her old mesh feeders and those have worked but he still eats very little this way. On the bright side, he is at least feeding himself.

Overall, Matteo is just a happy baby. Everyone comments on how he is always smiling and laughing. He is terribly ticklish. He loves his brother and sister and watching them play or makes faces at him. And he loves to talk! Mostly just "dadadadada" for now.

Happy 7 months, my baby Matteo!!

Matteo, 6 months old: Milestones galore!

Holy cow - it's been half a year since we got our little Tater Tot. I almost can't believe it (how cliche of me). But it's true. This is another difference I am finding with this one - time is flying. Not sure if its because I'm so busy or because he is just one baby. I definitely never felt this way with the twins. If anything, 6 months felt like way more, not less. Anyway, I have come to the realization that I need to take way more pictures of Matteo because I will certainly forget all this baby bliss.

This past month has been a very busy one for my littlest guy. Here is what he has been up to:

• Learning to sit up. He is almost 100% there but will tip every once in a while so I like to stay close by.
• Sleeping unswaddled. He kept breaking free of his swaddle during our trip so when we got home I just ditched it. It required some extra rocking to sleep at first but was a pretty easy transition overall.
• No longer the smallest. Sometime in January, Matteo surpassed Lola in the weight department, tipping the scales around 19lbs. to Lola's 18.
  
• Almost sleeping through the night. During our trip, he got in the bad habit of waking up twice at night (around 1 or 2 am and again at 5am). Luckily, I was able to get him to hold off until 5am (no 2am feeding) with minimal crying, just some hourly fussing. Now, he makes it until 5am without a problem and I feed him just so I can get a little bit more sleep. But even that 10pm - 5am stretch has been so lovely.
• Playing with toys. This past month has been great for him in terms of grabbing, shaking and chewing his toys. A lot of it goes hand in hand with sitting up. he likes to sit and just pick up what ever is in front of him and investigate it.
• Rolling. He has only done it a few times but at least he has done it. Just back to belly so far.
  

Here's his chair picture, which is actually a couch picture that my sister took. But at least we got a shot of him on the actual day (yesterday, February 3).

Matteo at 4 months

Matteo hit the 4 month mark on Saturday. This is the age I swore I would do CIO with him if wasn't already sleeping through the night. But, now that it's here, I'm not quite ready. he just seems so young. I did CIO with the twins closer to 6 months so perhaps that's why. Either way, I will probably wait until after our vacation to El Salvador for New Year's to bother with it. Feeding him at 2am is not ideal but it's not so bad either. With the twins, I had to feed them both which took longer, even if I did it at the same time, and I had to pump afterward. With Matteo, I just feed him for 5 minutes and then stumble back to bed.

Other than nighttime sleep, here is what's going on for Matteo these days:

He is napping better, although his morning nap is still shorter than his afternoon nap which surprises me. Usually 1 -1.5 hours in the morning vs. 1.5 - 2 (sometimes more!) in the early afternoon. Most days he usually needs a third nap but if he naps for a very long time in the afternoon, he can make until bedtime without it.

He still nurses almost every two hours during the day. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I nurse him before naps. On the bright side, he only needs to nurse for about 5 minutes so I don't really mind how often it is.

He smiles and laughs so much. He loves to watch his brother and sister play. And the dog, too. He loves when I talk right to him and tickle his belly.

He does not really love his exersaucer yet but tolerates it. He much prefers to playmat with the light-up star. ANd his bumbo so he can get in on the action at meal times. He tolerates tummy time but doesn't enjoy it for more than a few minutes.

My boy is still growing fast. He is in size 3 diapers but I still have so many size 2 diapers left that I am using those during the day and 3s at night. He is in 9 month clothes for the most part but can still squeeze into some of his 6 month stuff.

He is a hand-sucker. I may have my first thumb-sucker with this one once we ditch the swaddle. And he won't take a paci - an endeavor a gave up on a while ago, actually. I don't want him turning out like his big brother, addicted to that thing like baby crack.

And here is, all 4 months of him!

Matteo, 4 months old
(Sebastian and Collette at 4 months)

One Month!

Believe it or not, Matteo is now over one month old! And he is doing so well - eating and sleeping are both still great (back to waking up once at night now that his bedtime is a firm 730pm) and as he is more aware during the day, he is starting to enjoy his play mat and bouncy seats more.

The day after his one month birthday, he got to attend his first wedding. My dear friend/surrogate sister tied the knot on Saturday and Tater stayed awake to watch the whole ceremony. The commotion was too much for him, though, and he had to nurse twice during the reception to help him fall asleep. Thankfully, by the time dinner was served, he was out cold for the night. Billy and I even got to dance a bit before packing it up.

Also, I am now officially "on my own" with kiddos - my MIL left after 3 weeks of tremendous help. Tonight went really well though. Not a single tear was shed during bedtime and Matteo only started to fuss right at the end as I was getting Sebastian and Collette into their sleep sacks. I may have to add feeding the baby into their bedtime routine but we'll see. I'll be tweaking things as we go but I now know that its definitely doable. Hopefully things go just as smoothly tomorrow night when I actually have to bathe them...!

Lastly, we will continue the tradition of chair pictures with Matteo. Same chair, new baby! Here he is in his wedding outfit:

Matteo, one month and one day old

Keep an eye out for more posts coming up. I have a lot to share after being away from the blog for so long.

18 Months

Sebastian and Collette are officially closer to two than one. I think this is a mixed bag but, overall, I wouldn't want to go back. I keep hearing how tough 18 months is. And I agree. I love the freedom and independence they have now, as well as their growing ability to communicate their needs but they, of course, have no sense of danger or consequence. This makes willful, mobile kids hard to deal with - there's just no reasoning with them! Only chasing, capturing and strapping them into some child device. This also has me thinking about buying a stroller to fit all three kids. If I do go that route, I will buy this one. I figure the extra seat can be used to store stuff. Maybe I will put the dog in there and get some really crazy looks. :)

Lately, we have been practicing using utensils and walking downstairs. Utensils we have been doing for awhile but now I think I am ready to force them to do it themselves 100%. Or use their hands. I'm sure it will take some time for them to grow out of that. Usually I fill up their spoon and put it in front of them as scooping is their main problem. But I figure they will learn fast if they have no mommy doing it for them.

Collette will only walk downstairs now, as opposed to crawling down. We have to hold her hand but she is getting very good at it and soon I think she will be able to do it herself while holding the wall. Sebastian is practicing but not with nearly as much gusto as Collette. He prefers to practice on smaller sets of stairs and crawl down the big ones.

Here is our attempt at a chair picture, which we have decided to do every half year instead of every month. They don't change too much each month and they don't sit still anyway.


Also, what is with this age and throwing stuff where they can't reach it and then crying about it? And then doing it twelve more times in a row? It's super annoying, times 2. Good thing they're cute.

11 Months

11 months in and things are going pretty well in the Soto house.  Sebastian and Collette are crawling, climbing and standing all over the place.  They are playing with each other (sort of) and loving it.  They steal and fight and cry; they chase and talk and laugh.  All typical, fun baby stuff. 

I am enjoying it, too, I must say.  I think if I were to look back at all these month-birthday posts, all have been pretty upbeat since about 7 months, when they learned to sit up.  So, for people reading this out there with little newborns, it does get better.  You can actually have fun with your kids in that first year, contrary to popular belief.  I hear so many people say, in reference to their multiples, "I don't even remember the first year!"  I hope I don't say that some day, when their first year is behind us.  Because we have had a lot of good times.  And yes, the job of being a SAHM to infant twins is still tough.  Carrying them up and down stairs all day long, feeding them constantly, keeping them entertained, changing 17 poopy diapers per day, dealing with crying for no reason, dealing with crying for good reasons like new teeth, bruises and stolen toys.  But overall, it's a good gig.  I smile and laugh more than I did at any paying job I ever had.  And I cry a lot less.  Like, never.  Always a nice measure of job satisfaction.

Also, I know this post is a day late.  I'm not lazy or anything - it's just that I can't do the chair pictures alone, since I have kamikaze babies (don't we all, though!) and I need a spotter while I play photographer.  As you'll see below, I shouldn't quit my day job.  Anyway, here goes - Sebastian and Collette, 11 months old (and 1 day):

Makes My Monday: 10 months!

10 months!! We are officially in the double digits - woo hoo! And on this last day of summer, we also have our first EI meeting. Our case worker, B., will be here every Monday for the next 6 months at which time both babies will be reevaluated to see if qualify again. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

This past month has been another winner. The whining has been up and down but mostly manageable. Collette has been whining a lot less since she learned to crawl a few weeks ago. Now both babies are bored with crawling and focus most of their energy on pulling up. Pulling up on the TV stand (don't worry - the TV is anchored to the wall), pulling up on the couch, the high chairs, old bouncy seats, trash bins - if it's about 2 feet high, they are pulling up on it. Also, Sebastian took a couple of steps on his little baby walker and my camera was no where to be found.

In the continuing solid food saga, both babies have pretty good pincer grasp now and can reliably get well over 50% of the food in their mouth on the first try. With the new bibs, it's much easier to just scoop up what they missed and put it back on the tray so we have been wasting a lot less food. To date, here are some favorites:

diced pears

diced apples, nuked to soften (although I'm sure that's killing most of the nutrients. *sigh*)

diced peaches, may need to be nuked if not soft enough

sliced strawberries

sliced bananas (not too ripe or they get slimy)

raspberries (WARNING! very messy and they stain!)

cubed kiwi

baked sweet potato cubes (bigger hit than sweet potato fries and easier to make)

steamed asparagus

pasta in marinara sauce (ziti and rotini cut up have worked best so far)

diced chicken

smoked salmon pieces (just Sebastian)

baked haddock pieces (big surprise, thanks Legal Seafood!)

beans (just Collette)

very small cheese cubes, a soft, mild cheddar

As you can see, we are lacking in the veggie department and that is mostly my fault, I have tried a couple of veggies that haven't been embraced (like zucchini pancakes) but others I just haven't tried yet, but plan too. On deck are steamed, sliced carrots, edamame, peas, steamed, cubed squash (summer or winter), sauteed peppers. Still, most any kind of bread is a hit, even naan. Spices have made their way onto Sebastian and Collette's plates - they thoroughly enjoyed my curry butternut squash soup! And they will be eating Tabasco in no time if Billy has anything to say about it.

Our 10 month schedule is pretty much the same as our 9 month schedule, with the exception being naps - they tend to be closer to 9 and 1, sometimes even after 9 and 1. From what others have told, the same happened to them so we're just going to roll with it. I'm also working on pushing back bedtime in preparation for daylight savings. Did anyone else have to gear up for the time change, or did you just make him/her/them "sleep" an hour later?

And, I'm happy to report that the feud between my camera and computer is over! Just in time for chair pictures, hurrah!! As you will see, it's really hard to keep 10 month olds in a rocking chair. Without further ado, here they are:

Collette about to crawl off the chair and Sebastian trying to roll over her.

Coming soon: review on my new Valco Ion 4 Two stroller! In the meantime, check out some other Monday Makers at Twinfatuation.

9 Months

Is it me, or does 9 months sound like a lot?? Maybe its because that's how long you're supposed to be pregnant, so now they're finally longer out than in? Although, my babies passed that mark over a month ago, but still. I guess anything at this point is going to seem like a big milestone, just getting us closer and closer to the one year mark.

This ninth month of life for Sebastian and Collette has meant introducing finger food, saying good-bye to many of their favorite toys (play mat, bouncy seats, bumbos...), new car seats and, most recently, mobility. We have brought in some new toys that have become favorites, most of which light up, make noise and involve a ball. Peek-a-boo is also a big hit, again, and thankfully does not require batteries. Just a willing adult.

Sebastian is crawling all over the place but this has not dampened his fussiness. He is starting to pull up and can get on his knees but not his feet just yet. He is still working on picking up small bits of food (mainly Cheerios and Rice Krispies) but gets easily frustrated when it doesn't result in actual eating. He much prefers bigger snacks like crackers and bagels.

Collette is all about the finer things. She LOVES to eat Cheerios and can grab one at a time and get them in her mouth, most of the time. The dog is still eating well, though. She wants to crawl but doesn't tolerate being on her belly for very long. She has been saying "mamamama" and "babababa" - not really words (says spell check) but getting close.

Happy 9 months, Collette and Sebastian.

8 Months & Thursday Theater

I started this post two days ago and its already outdated. Gotta love how fast things change with babies. Also, the video for Goddess' Thursday Theater is hiding at the bottom of the post so I guess you're just going to have to read the whole thing.

For me, 8 months is a big milestone because we can start a new bunch of foods. In particular, we will add (or have already because I cheated and started a bit early) meat, berries and spices to their diet. Blueberries and strawberries went over just fine. We added some cinnamon to their strawberry oatmeal breakfast and it was fine but when we tried again the next day (with apples) I put in a bit too much and both babes got a rash around their mouths. No other symptoms but for now, no more cinnamon.

Meat is up next - I'm not really sure how I feel about pureed chicken (or beef/pork/turkey) but if Gerber does it, I guess I can. Still kind of revolting.

We also have started finger foods. You already know how its going with Cheerios. Mommy Esq. suggested we try bagels and, wouldn't you know it, they love 'em. Billy thinks they are unhealthy but its not like we need to keep them on the Atkins diet or anything. Anyway, they will probably be carboholics just like their mommy so we should just get on with it.

In non-food 8 month news, Sebastian is DYING to crawl. He rolls around constantly to get where he wants but I can tell that he would prefer forward movement. Unfortunately, he hasn't realized that he needs to use his knees* and that's kind of an important aspect of crawling. Oh well. He'll get there - I'll worry about it when the pediatrician tells me to. And knowing her, that won't be for a while.

Now Collette - she could care less about rolling/crawling/moving. I do not see an athlete in this one. Unless they make blogging while simultaneously channel surfing a sport because I could totally see her getting into that. Although, she does put her hands in front of her from a sitting position but, like her brother, hasn't yet discovered her knees.

*Update: This is the part where my post became wrong because I waited one day to finish writing it. Yesterday, Sebastian discovered his knees and has been doing the pre-crawl rock, featured below. I was beyond excited for this little breakthrough - it makes all that whining totally worth it.



And finally, their chair pictures:




Happy 8 months, Sebastian and Collette!! I couldn't ask for better babies than you two.

Makes My Monday: 7 months!

Yesterday, Billy had to share his special day with twins - they turned 7 months old!! I have to say, this has been the BEST month so far. They sleep through the night - thank you CIO! - and they have a great eating/nap routine. A few weeks ago, they were able to sit up for a few seconds at a time and I predicted that by the 7-month mark, they would be sitting unassisted at least long enough to play with some toys. Lo and behold - they do! I still need some good shots of it but everyday, they can do it better and longer. It's life changing, I swear!

Also, solid food feeding has gotten easier. They tolerate their high chairs more and I can actually clean up while they chill out and play with some toys. I can't get 15 minutes out of them like some other people but I'll take 5 minutes. You'd be surprised how much you can get done in the kitchen in 5 minutes!

In other gross motor development, Sebastian is really starting to push up on the heels of his hands. Collette can do it a little but not as much - she doesn't like to spend much time on her belly so she gets way less practice. I think I will need to invest in some more toys as they start these new moves - sitting, "crawling" and, in a few months, pulling up.

Fine motor development is going well, too. They can put their binkies in their mouth and are much more deliberate in their grabbing. They both love to scratch and grab faces - I have evidence of it on my upper lip. And when sitting, they can easily pick up small toys and put them in - you guessed it! - their mouths. They also notice each other and will each for the other's face, scalp, arm, etc.

And of course - their chair pictures. It was Collette's turn to cooperate while Sebastian protested. Gotta love twins!

Needless to say, this is one great Monday! What's making your Monday? Let us know at Twinfatuation. All the cool kids are doing it.

PS - This Monday also rocks because I did my first ever guest post!! Check me out at How Does YOUR Garden Grow to get an awesome strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe. They also have tons of other great recipes that use local ingredients. Yum!

6 Months. That's half a year, right??

Half a year gone by. Yikes! Some days I feel like we are finally hitting our stride and others I feel like I can barely keep my head above water. I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be this way for awhile. Ah, motherhood.

So, what has changed in the past month? Well, the babies are now eating 2 *meals* each day and have tried lots of foods. Collette is trying to sit up and is close; Sebastian is still more interested in rolling and has actually gone from his back to his tummy at least once. I think he wants to be a tummy sleeper, like his mom.

As evidenced by my latest posts, sleep has been changing, too. They are now reliably sleeping through the night, with far less fussing when we put them down and usually no wake ups. If they do, its just a few minutes of light crying/fussing and back to sleep. Ironically, all this extra sleep for me (8 straight hours!!!!!!!!!!!!) has made me more tired...WTF?

Not sure yet on their "stats" because our Pedi appointment is not until Monday. But I'm sure they have been growing well and developmentally they seem on target. We'll see what the doctor says about all this and solid food, as we are still trying to get the hang of it.

And as always, here are their chair pictures. Collette was not too happy about taking this picture but Sebastian cooperated.

Happy 6-month birthday, Sebastian and Collette!!

5 Months and counting (with Thursday Theater)

So, we have successfully hit the 5-month mark. Not that 5 months is some huge milestone but its another month down. Babies are still alive and well and I guess that's all that matters. And I'm alive and well. Does that matter??

So, I really thought that by this point, we would have ditched the nighttime feeding but, alas, we have not. Billy and I decided we will give them until after our vacation to correct this on their own or else they get Ferberized. Actually, I'm not sure if Billy know about the whole plan but I'll fill him in. Eventually. Or I guess he could just read it here with the rest of you. What a considerate wife I am.

Anyway, the fact that they haven't dropped the night feeding has led us to think that maybe they are just really hungry. According to the good Dr. Ferber this is probably not the case. Oh well. It was worth a shot. So, we figured we would give them a bit more milk in each of their daytime bottles (4 a day) and add in 1-2 *solid* food meals. And I have to say, so far, so good. As far as favorites go, its a toss up between bananas and sweet potatoes. Avocados were fine, they just don't seem to really love like they sometimes do with the others. Not sure what we will try next...In the meantime, here is a video of our first attempt at baby feeding. This video will of course be burned onto a DVD and stored next to their first bath videos so that we can easily embarrass them in front of their prom dates.

The challenge for this week was to add a soundtrack. I did this but it just sounds like we are listening to music in the background. Not sure yet how to get the music to play INSTEAD of hearing us on camera...

In other 5 month news, Sebastian is rolling and Collette is almost sitting (although I'm sure real sitting is still a long way off) and kinda/sorta standing with assistance. I have already shared a video of my rolling boy but here is Collette, "standing up", during our chair picture photo shoot.

So, some good gross motor stuff going on. In the fine motor department, the babies are definitely getting more grabby. I can no longer wear my hair down near Collette and Sebastian love rattles. He doesn't actually know to rattle them but he likes to hold them and try and get them in his mouth, albeit unsuccessfully. Practice makes perfect, Buddy. We're rootin' for ya.

And now, for posterity, here are their chair pictures. 5 months and counting.

This is also Collette's "First Jeans" Picture. I like to kill two birds with one stone.

I wonder what was going through her mind in this one. "Pose for a pretty picture" was definitely NOT it. Although she still looks cute. Naturally.

Sebastian hamming it up. Atta boy!

To find some other fun videos, head over to Goddess in Progress. I'm sure you will find much better editing than you did here.

4 Months Old!

Yesterday, the twins turned 4 months old and I really can't believe it has been that long. I remember reading in the books that by 4 months they will start sleeping through the night and feeling like it felt so far away. But here we are and, lo and behold, they are almost sleeping through the night. They've done it a few times and, when they do wake in the night to eat, its usually 4 or 5am instead 2 or 3 am. Which means I can start going to bed at a normal hour and still function the next day. Sweet.

We celebrated the day in a few special ways. I got highlights to add to my Rachel hairdo. Gay Guile, my hairdresser, did a great job so I guess he's a keeper. He was also doing 5 other girls' hair at the same time - the guy has chops. Two of the women he had in the salon were getting their hair done for a cruise. I thought he meant a booze cruise. Wrong. They were getting their hair styled, blown out, hair sprayed, etc. for a Royal Carribbean Cruise. The next day. Leaving from Miami. Is that normal - to get your hair styled before you get on a plane for a week-long cruise in the always-humid Carribbean? He told me they were "richies" - I guess that's just what richies do...

Anyway, the babies celebrated by being babies. Sebastian was cranky in the afternoon while we had an out-of-town visitor (nice first impression, Sebastian!) and decided he would need a fourth nap. Collette had a normal day but has apparently learned what being in the bathroom and hearing running water means - bath time. She hates bath time. She was hysterical before I even got her onesie off. Awesome.

We also attempted the chair picture and got some good ones of Collette but Sebastian would not cooperate. We tried again when he woke up from one his many naps but, by then, my camera battery had died. So, technically, his 4 month chair picture is a day late. I doubt it will matter to him but I will always know. Hmph.

(Sebastian, 4 months, 1day old - decidely happier than the day before)

As far as growth and development are concerned, things are going well. They are becoming more and more social and aware. They look at faces more and laugh when we smile or makes silly faces. They are getting a bit of stranger anxiety - mostly just with my mom. Sorry, Mom!

They turn their heads to see the tv. The Today Show is their favorite. Except Matt Lauer - they think he sucks. Right on, babies, right on.

The cause and effect thing is beoming big with them, too. They are big into kicking and making something light up. Thank goodness for bouncy seats and playmats. I honestly do not know what I would do without them.

We are still swaddling and I'm not sure when we will give it up. I know that when the time comes, we wil do CIO but I'm not yet sure when the right time will be. I've heard from other moms that its takes 3-4 nights for babies to get the hang of it. Unfortunately, Billy is only home 3 nights at a time and I'm a bit nervous to do it without him. We'll see, though. They still fit in the Uber-Swaddle Sack, so I'm happy to keep things as they are. And 4 months is still young. I don't want to rush them. :)

Four months in a nutshell. I think I may just be getting the hang of this mom thing...

3 Months Old

Today is the day the twins finally reach the 3-month mark. Now, they are out of the "fourth trimester" and should be learning lots of things really quickly. Here is a snapshot of their little lives after three months:

Sleep: Ah yes, the always-elusive zzz's. Well, not so elusive. I actually have to admit that I have been pretty lucky in most regards. The AMAZING nurses at the Special Care Nursery got our munchkins on a 4-hour feeding schedule before they left the hospital and we were able to maintain it once they got home. So for their first month with us, we could reliably get nice chunks of 3 hour sleep. For newborns, this was actually pretty good. Then, after the new year, they started to be a little more alert and more awake during the day which naturally led to more sleepy time at night. This transition was completely organic for us. I really did not do anything (that I know of...) to get the twins to understand the difference between day and night. So, I feel very fortunate that they figured it out on their own - good babies!!!

Naps have also developed - I am now a big Dr. Weissbluth fan. I highly recommend reading his book and so far, I agree with most of it - it's working really well for my duo. They take about three naps a day, first around 8am, second around 12pm and the third around 330pm. Then, as the Dr. prescribes, early bedtime! Sebastian and Collette hit the hay anywhere between 615pm and 7pm and then Mommy and Daddy have the house to themselves. :)

As for nighttime, we are still waking up once to feed both babies, usually between 1 and 2am. I am very much looking forward to the day when this becomes a distant memory. 3 months without an uninterrupted 6-8 hours of sleep is starting to wear on me...

Feeding: Both babies are very good, predictable eaters. They each take about 5 bottles a day for a total of 25 oz of expressed BM. Sebastian still has formula added to his BM for the calories (little peanut!!) but my guess is that our pediatrician will take him off it at our 4-month check up. Also, they are getting faster with the bottle. What used to take 25 minutes now only takes 15, so that is a welcome change.

Development: Other than the changes in sleep and eating, the twins have made lots of progress in their development to date. Sebastian is especially smiley and loves look at his mobile and the toys hanging from the play mat. He grabbed a ring the other day and while I'm sure it was somewhat accidental, it was still so exciting. (Yes, this is the kind of thing that gets me excited these days...such is the life of a new mommy!) He also rolled over while he was doing tummy time on the boppy! Of course, the pillow gives him a head start but I'll take what I can get.

Collette is doing lots of social smiling as well but not as much as her brother. She seems to still prefer sleep, God bless her! I see her rolling soon, though - hopefully by 4 months! Both she and her brother love to "stand" (assisted, of course) and this sometimes helps calm them down when they get fussy.

Both munchkins have started their goo-ing and gaa-ing and its adorable. They have started to look at me when they hear my voice and follow me with their eyes when someone else is holding them. Their head and back control has improved a lot, too. Collette especially has good head control, as evidenced by this great photo - what a cutie pie!

It seems as though they are pretty much on target, especially when you take their adjusted age (7 weeks adjusted vs. 13 weeks) into consideration. Not sure how much they weigh but if I get to ISIS, I'll try out their baby scale and see how much they've grown since two months - Collette was 11lbs 5 oz (chunker!) and Sebastian was 9lbs 13oz (peanut!).

Last but not least, here is their 3 month "chair picture" - this is on the rocking chair in their room.

Collette looking lovely as ever! I think purple is her color.

Sebastian is such a handsome boy in his overalls.