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:

Two vs. One: Part 2

More on my thoughts about how my one baby is, as expected, way easier than two. Part 1 here.

Nursing vs. Bottle Feeding/Pumping

I hope I don't get any grief for saying so but nursing your baby is way easier than bottle feeding and especially easier than bottle feeding AND pumping. Now, don't get me wrong - I know that getting good at nursing can be really, really hard. Especially with twins. Especially with baby(ies) born early who won't latch. That being said, once you have figured things out, it is so much simpler to just pop a boob in a baby's mouth than prepare a bottle (pump and/or mix formula) and then have to worry about cleaning said bottles. So much of our time in the first month or so was devoted to those fucking bottles. And pump parts. I felt like I was living in a sea of plastic. After two months, when I finally became fed up with things and realized I would need to manage my time better once I was on my own with the twins, I figured out some short cuts to the bottle/pump madness. But even then, it's way more work than nursing a baby.

There are the downsides. No one else can feed Matteo for me. (He has only had 3 or 4 bottles in his little life). There is just a bit of anxiety over nursing in public. He still eats more often than the twins ever did. There is no real way to do it in the car, which has been an issue more times than I would have expected. But on the whole, life is so simple this way. I don't have to worry about being out too long with the twins because I don't have a bottle for the baby. I never have to run to the store because I ran out of formula or bottle liners.

I don't know how I would feel if I had the experience of nursing twins to compare this to. I imagine its very difficult to do that out in public, if only that it takes twice as long which might be uncomfortable for some. But in the first few months with the twins, I was inside most of the time anyway, just getting out for quick errands like Bjs or going for long walks, usually right after they ate. I would love to hear what moms of twins think about their successful nursing experience. Did you often feel like it was harder than bottle feeding would have been? Or did you think you had it easier because you were able to nurse?

Bad Habits?

I have a mommy confession to make.

I have been trying so hard to get Matteo to take decent naps. I follow the two-hour rule, a la Dr. Weissbluth. I use white noise, room darkening shades. Swaddle. Routine. But my little boy still wakes up after 45 minutes, wanting to eat, or play, or just hang out.

So. I've been doing something else. I've been nursing him to sleep. Not that he needs it to fall asleep. He's pretty darn good at that part. But, miraculously, nursing before a nap help stretch that 45 nap into an hour and a half, two, even two and half hours! It's blissful and he is so much happier for it.

But I have to wonder - am I starting a really bad habit? Will I regret this down the line? For now, I don't nurse him to sleep for the night. He nurses before I change him and bathe him and swaddle him and rock him. The nap thing is different, though. I think part of the problem is that he wants to eat every 2 - 2.5 hours. If he eats when he wakes up, then is up for an hour and a half, he'll want to eat again in less than an hour. So, I am hoping this is only temporary, and won't be necessary when he starts to stretch out those feedings. Lord knows when that will be. In the meantime, I just hope I'm not creating a little monster.

Life with 3 under 2

Now that Matteo is three weeks old, we are all starting to get used to each other. Sebastian and Collette like their new little brother. Or at least they accept him as part of the family. They like to give him kisses and Collette will even go so far as to bring him blankets. They both like to point to his body parts - a little scary when they try to poke him in the eye. And Sebastian especially likes it when he wears onesies that feature cars. Other than that, they pretty much ignore him which is much better than acting jealous. Hopefully things will stay this way once I am on my own with them and they aren't getting all that extra attention from Mimi (my MIL).

As for Matteo, he has inserted himself nicely into our lives. He must now how spread thin Mommy will be because, for a newborn, he seems to be making things pretty easy for me. He nurses like a champ and has since day one. He gets right down to business and is finished within 15 minutes, sometimes just 10! This makes feeding him and watching after the twins manageable. And he is already developing some very promising sleep patterns. He generally takes a longer nap from about 9-11 and then again from 130-330. Otherwise, he seems to take shorter naps, especially in the evening when he is nursing more frequently. Plus, he is already showing signs of readiness for an early bedtime. he gets crabby and needy around 6pm if he isn't asleep. If this goes on, I will probably just incorporate him into the twins' bedtime and that way they will all be down by 730ish. That may mean I have to give up my one night feeding (usually around 130am) but it might be worth it to have my evenings back. Or is that idea totally age-inappropriate?

So, all in all, life with 3 under 2 is going well. It's hard to believe that in such a short time I opened and closed the book on having babies. It'll be a tough first year but I know it'll pay off in the long run!

Operation Sippy Cup: Complete!

We have said our final good-bye to bottles, nipples and liners in our house. Hurrah!! Sippy cups bring their own set of work (and mess!) but overall, I think this is much easier than bottles. They haven't mastered drinking them fully upright and refuse to drink from them in their high chairs. So, the we still have work to do but we'll get there.

To help them learn to drink sitting up straight, I give them water before and after meals in their special directors chairs that Auntie Kim scored for us. They do pretty well with it when the cup is full (and therefore easier to drink from) but can't empty is sitting that way. As with all things, though, practice makes perfect and they're getting better by the day! Here is Collette, showing off her skills:

Messy, but still...

Operation Sippy Cup: Week 1

I think I titled this wrong but I don't want to jinx myself.  I was temtped to title this "Operation Sippy Cup:  Complete" because they have been doing so well with it.  The first day, Collette cried but since then, we really haven't looked back.  As of yesterday, we are down to just 2 bottles a day (wake up and bedtime) and they get their milk (formula) sippies when they wake up from naps as a "snack." 

I do think it will be a challenge to have them only drink milk at meals, as some people have suggested.  To me, if it's a snack that I just will replace with something else (like Goldfish or Graham Crackers) I would rather them drink milk.  But they are still young and I won't worry about that too much just yet.  I have a feeling that once we switch to cow's milk, they will be drinking less anyway. 

One more question for you all out there - how many sippy cups (per kid) do you have?  Right now, I have 3 different ones and it's clear that they have a favorite.  I need to go buy more of those so I wonder how many I should invest in...

A Sippy Cup Saga

Ah, sippy cup.  How I loathe thee.  You are a glorified bottle that my babies do not prefer but must use so that they do not become illiterate, junkie, buck-toothed juvenile delinquents.  Or at least that's what I am led to believe.

So, to keep my kids out of jail, we will be starting the transition from bottles to sippy cups tomorrow, on their 11 month birthday, with the goal of being finished by their first birthday.  They can use the sippy cup well enough and I think once it has something more enticing in it (milk/formula) they will get even better at it.  I discussed some approaches with B., our EI worker.  She suggested that since we LOVE routines (guilty!), we should implement a sippy cup routine - different, maybe, from the bottle routine but something structured nonetheless.  She mentioned having them sit on the couch for their sippies and when they get off the couch to play, sippy time is over.  I like that idea but not sure I really want to manage two fearless 11 month olds on a couch.  We'll figure something out.  It will most likely involve The Backyardigans or some other kid's TV show.

As for getting them to drink milk (as opposed to formula) I think I will start that around 11.5 months.  I have no worries about them liking the milk - when we transitioned from breast milk to formula, they could not have cared less.  But their tummies may need some time to adjust and I think two weeks should be more than enough.

I'll be sure to post again about our progress - we'll be taking out one bottle a week to be done by November 21st.  We'll start with the mid-morning bottle, then the afternoon bottle, then the bedtime bottle, and lastly (shudder) the morning bottle. 

In the meantime, I'd love any tips from you wise mommies who have been through this already.  Thanks as always!!

Bittersweet

I'm down to pumping twice and day and soon will only be pumping once. I'm getting about 16 ounces a day now, less than a third of where I was before I started weaning. So, lots of good progress in 10 days. I'm thinking my goal of being done by August 31st is pretty attainable although I'm sure it will come with it's fair share of discomfort.

A friend (thanks Tanya!!) has hooked me up with some free formula so we have started with that since my supply is well below what the twins drink in a day. I was all worried that they would hate the formula or have upset tummies or constipation, but no. They're fine. Like there was no change at all. Of course I'm glad that they are transitioning well but there is this part of me that wished they cared, or maybe even noticed, that this is not mommy's milk.

On the flip side, I have lots more spare time with less pumping and less cleaning of pump parts. This will also give me a bit more flexibility with being out during the day. I think that the twins could withstand a bit of disruption to their nap schedule every once in a while. Maybe Grammy and I can plan a fun day trip with S and C - suggestions??

Unrelated but still noteworthy, I (unofficially) have abdominal separation, or diastasis recti. There has been an active thread on our twin mom listserv on this topic and I asked how to tell if you have it. Well, I do. It's the width of three of my fingers (going across) so about 2-3 inches. Apparently, you have to do special exercises to fix it and a PT can show you how. Or you can get a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck is out of the question at this point. So, I'm thinking about contacting a PT but I don't know when I will see this person. Billy's Fridays have been very busy and no one in the world works on weekends anymore. It's times like these when I really wish I had trained a sitter so I could call her up and have her cover me for silly things like doctor's appointments. Training someone just always seemed like a big investment and I rarely need a sitter so I didn't think it was worth it. I know everyone is going to yell at me and say "GET A SITTER FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!" but for me, its not so easy. I have irrational control/money hang ups that make relinquishing my parenting duties and forking over $15-20/hour really difficult. And I know, I need to get over it. Perhaps this PT business will get me going. *doubtful*

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.

100th Post: Decisions, Decisions

I have decided to stop pumping. There. Variety of reasons but everyone is happy. So far. I have been pumping 5 times a day and today I will drop down to 4. Not sure how long it will take overall. If you have tips/advice/warnings, I'd gladly accept them.

And now I have to buy formula...hmmm...

Mobility Makes My Monday!

Back at Cheryl's for Makes My Monday!!

First, check out my post at How Does YOUR Garden Grow and see my inner Julia Child!

Other than cooking up summer veggies, I have big news that is making my Monday. (drum roll...) Sebastian is CRAWLING!! Hurrah! I don't have a video of it yet because I'm an awful 21st century mom but I will get one before the end of the week. He isn't ready for a diaper commercial yet because he uses one knee one one foot to make forward progress instead of both knees. But he is kind of doing the left-right-left-right motion instead of just scooting forward inch worm style. And he shows very early signs of pulling up so I need to get the whole "child-proofing" thing. He is partial to electronics and their cords so I have to be a lot more careful and keep those things out of reach. More work for me but I'm happy that we are making progress!

Here he comes!!

In less exciting news, both babies can feed themselves their whole bottles, reliably so. This morning was the first morning (first time, actually) they both fed themselves. I hovered next to them while reading a book. Does life get better?

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.

Finally, some *solid* solid food

My days of pureeing fruits and veggies are by no means over. But we have added some actual solids to the babies' solid food menu. 8 months is just around the corner and I figured, what the hell, close enough!

I got a 3-ton box of cheerios at BJs and assume it will last me until enroll the twins in preschool. At least at the rate they are going. Their pincer grasp is not so much developed yet so success has been limited. Unless you define success as feeding Lola Cheerios. I'm pretty sure that's how Lola defines it.

Sebastian's method of eating Cheerios is to completely ignore the fact that he has an opposable thumb and simply scratch the food tray. This mostly results in Cheerios reaching the far edges of the tray, totally out of reach, or Cheerios flicked onto the floor for Lola. See! Success.

Collette's method is a bit more advanced although she lacks in follow-through. She uses the stickiness of her hand to get Cheerios onto her palms. Then, she brings her hand to her mouth. However, her hand doesn't actually touch her mouth - it comes close and then she starts to chew air. Her hand then falls to her side, Cheerios fall to floor for Lola. More success!!

My next attempt at solid baby food was pasta. This would have to turn out better because I can still feed it to them on a spoon. Well, little grasshopper, you are wrong again! I've heard about all these babies making themselves throw up because they don't like the texture of some food they're eating. And now, my Sebastian gets to join this not-so-exclusive club. And I get to join the not-so-exclusive club of moms who have to clean up multi-colored alphabet pasta throw up.

So, how long does this last? When will they start to get the hang of non-pureed, non-liquid nourishment?

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!

If It Ain't Broke...

I've always believed that life was as hard as you make it. To be sure, people get dealt raw deals but in general, I think we have a lot of control over our lives. With that in mind, I feel many people make their lives more difficult than they need to be. I always wondered why people do this, until I found myself doing that very same thing.

A few months ago, my emotions got the better of me. I was still upset about not breastfeeding that I figured I would try, just one last time, to make it work. I had been stressing about it for so long, pretty much since the day the twins came home from the hospital. They had been in the Special Care Nursery for nearly 2 weeks, but it seemed like an eternity. And the only thing keeping them there was eating. Well, not eating, really.

Their prematurity (34 weekers) didn't have any huge "health" impacts on them when they were born but they were small and tired and didn't really know how to suck and eat. My C-section kept me in the hospital for 4 days but then I had to go home. I had been "nursing" them at almost every feeding and some days we had a bit of success and other times we didn't. But when I went home, I could only go to the hospital once a day for a few hours because my blood pressure was still quite high and I was basically on bed rest. That left very little opportunity to breastfeed - at most, 2 feedings per day. And usually we just tried once because we didn't want to wear them out.

The last few days they were in the hospital, we had a lot of success with the breastfeeding. But still, the lactation consultant said in the first week at home we should still just do it once a day, since that is what they were used to. And then work our way up from there. I think that was the beginning of the end for us. When your babies have only been alive for 11 days, a week seems like an eternity! I had no idea what to make of that advice. Do I do it twice a day for the second week? Or do I just do it all the time after that? There was no road map for transitioning to all breastfeeding.

The second blow came when we had our first visit with the pediatrician. The babies had been eating pumped breast milk with high calorie formula powder added to bulk them up. Now, it doesn't take a genius to realize that if they need these extra calories, then breastfeeding isn't really an option. It's not like I can inject my breasts with formula powder. So, I was hoping that she would say we could stop the extra calories or at least cut back. No such luck. I was crushed. How would I ever do this if I had to keep giving them these extra calories??

And that's how we ended up here. I'm pumping exclusively for my twins. A while back, I tried to get them back on the breast. And I did, sort of. I bought the nipple shields which make real nipples more like bottle nipples. The babies sometimes accepted it, other times not so much. But I was a day late and a dollar short, so to speak. They were already 4 months old. I was on my own with them for the better part of the week. I had already established a very smooth routine around pumping and feeding and, with the exception of my lingering guilt/sadness/longing, everyone was happy. And when you are outnumbered by infants, changing your routine (especially one that is working!) is beyond difficult.

It's obvious to me why I tried to make my life so much more difficult. I felt like a failure. Scratch that: I feel like a failure. And for those of you who know me, you know I don't fail. I ace tests, I get into the best schools, I get job offers. Heck, I even get boy/girl twins! But I can't breastfeed. I fail.

And the guilt and disappointment in myself is what propelled me to try and recapture my goal, even though everything was going so well. And that was stupid. It's not like me to make my life harder than it needs to be. But I simply could not reconcile those feelings. I have since given up on that goal and realized the error of my ways. That certainly doesn't mean I am over all these emotions - it just means I have decided to not let them interfere with our daily life as I had been. Our life is good, the twins are so happy and healthy - there is no reason to screw around with a good thing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I can put this in the "lessons learned the hard way" column.

Whew. I feel better now. Thanks.

I Heart My Blender

Ya, I'm that mom. I make my own baby food. I have yet to buy a box of baby cereal or a jar of food. This must be the Gemini in me because in my own diet, I'm all for pre-packaged, convenience, and ingredients/additives that I can't pronounce. But for some reason, I have decided that my babies will have food that's as a natural as I can make possible. I can't grow my own apples or bananas, but I can puree the stuff I buy at the store.

Now, before you get all, "oh, she thinks she so awesome and green and she should just get off her stupid high horse," hear me out. (probably you weren't thinking that but I have an undiagnosed problem with paranoia...just ask Billy) I do this for a variety of reasons and they don't all have to with being high and mighty. But I will say this: I do think its healthier. But only marginally so. I don't think that jarred baby food is bad for babies or that Gerber is evil - I have plenty of their onesies. I just think "homemade" is a tad better.

Another reason I do this is because I like cooking. I enjoy being in the kitchen and smelling the smells and mixing the concoctions. It's a like a little hobby for me. And since having the babies, I haven't cooked grown-up food as much as I would like so this is one way of getting me back into the swing of things. It's also nice to know that I don't have to buy baby food separate from grown-up food. We eat bananas, so do the babies. We eat avocados, so do the babies. We eat brown rice, so do the babies. And eventually, I will be cooking real meals for them anyway so I figure, why not start now!

Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that homemade food tastes better. Again, maybe only marginally so. But still, I like that I can select the freshest fruits and veggies and know that they will taste their best. I can select the variety of apples that they like best and have them try different kinds. I can even make fruits and veggies that they don't sell in baby food jars. Mango-avocado is a delicious combo! I know, because I finished Collette's when she got full. I might try that spread on my next burrito.

So, ya - those are my main reasons. Oh ya, and I can't stand the thought of all those baby food jars going in the trash. But then again, they can probably be recycled...whatevs.

And to be honest, it doesn't take up a lot of time or effort. If you have the time (and some people flat out don't) and you decide this is what you'd like to do with it, great! If you'd rather have a social life, that's probably better. But for the anti-social, blender-weilding:

• Buy enough of any one fruit or veggie to fill at least one ice cube tray. My trays hold about 20-25oz.
• Go to http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ to get the preparation instructions. This website is my baby food bible. Has all the nutrient info, too, as well as fun *recipes* for all different ages/stages.
• After food is cooked/peeled/whatever, put it in your blender or food processor. (I use a regular old blender that I had in hopes of making adult frozen beverages. Oh well.) I use my Puree setting for most foods but sometimes need a higher one (Liquefy!) to get the job done.
• If you like, save some puree in the fridge for the next 2 days. Otherwise, pour everything in the ice cube tray, put some plastic wrap over the top and lay it flat in the freezer.
• In the morning, grab a freezer bag, label it with the date and the food, and pop the cubes in. If they stick, just run some warm water over the bottom - that should do the trick.

To date, the twins have tried apples, avocados, bananas, green beans, peaches, prunes, pears, mango, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potato, butternut squash, and peas. We have done all sorts of combos and the only thing they really dislike is green beans all alone. Mix it with some sweet potato and down the hatch it goes. Papaya is next - I'm just waiting for the one I bought to ripen!

(The fruits of my labor - so cute and colorful! See, I told you it's fun. They eat about 2.5 cubes each at a meal, although I think we can bump it up to 3 - these babies LOVE their food!)

Our only issue with feeding is that the babies kinda hate their high chairs. I have no idea why. They are adjustable and soft but they just don't like them. I think once they can sit on their own, they will like the idea of sitting in a chair like that for "extended" periods. Right now, I pretty much have to put food in their mouths immediately after plopping them in. And they don't last long in their chairs after the meal has ended which makes clean up a challenge. But as with all things baby related, this too shall pass.

Does anyone else out there make their own baby food? What are some of your favorite combos?

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.

Makes My Monday: Bananas, Avocados, Sweet Potatoes, OH MY!

We finally did it! We gave the babies their first taste of *solid* food. Billy and I decided to skip baby cereal and go straight to real food. I ran out to the grocery store and got the baby spoons, very ripe bananas and avocados and one small sweet potato. Billy brought the high chairs up from the cellar and got us all set up at the dining room table.

Our first try at it was Saturday morning and we made some banana puree.

Sebastian looks like he is spitting it out but he actually liked it a lot.

Miss Collette is laughing because she thinks we're crazy for trying to get her to eat this. "Where's my milk?!!" She had a little and then was ready for her bottle.

I have a very cute video of them as well but it's a bit long so I need to edit it. This is a skill that still needs some honing, so I hope to have it ready for Thursday Theater. We'll see...

In the meantime, hop on over to Twinfatuation to check out everyone else's Mondays.

Two at a Time Twosday

Eight is Great hosts Two for Twos-Day - and the Sotorrific Twins are joining today for the first time.

For our Twos-Day, I got my inspiration from a fellow MoT and a fellow rugger (woo woo!) who let me in on a little secret: those double breastfeeding pillows can also be used for double bottle-feeding. She knows that I can't BF (cue the world's tiniest violin) and thought this would be a nice way to snuggle and feed both twins simultaneously. Well, Rugger Mom, you were right. Here we are, snuggling after a nice brunch-time bottle:

Twin love... :) This will now be added to my repertoire of feeding tricks!