8 months

Whew. I am home, in front of the computer, the babies are sleeping. All three of these are small miracles based on the past 2 weeks. We had a wonderful time at my sisters wedding...it was awesome and beautiful. Once I get some pics from people (yes, I am sick I didn't get one picture with our camera!) I will do a post on the wedding. I will just tell you that I about fell out of MY chair when I saw my babies...they were a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.

Then, we came home for one night, washed and repacked everything and hit the road to vacation with Ryan's side of the family. That will be a post too, but during all of this traveling, the twins turned 8 months old!!!

One thing is for sure...it is getting much harder to get these "month-old" pictures! I have two wiggle worms!




Their little personalities have really made themselves evident this past month. And they couldn't be more different! So fun. Jenna is the most joyful, calm baby on earth! With all of Caden's reflux problems the past few months, I feel like days have gone by when I completely ignored my sweet Jenna. But, she just plays and talks to herself like nothing is wrong! Thank you Lord for giving us what we can handle. I would have been in the crazy house if both C and J had been dealing with the reflux problems. Caden has temporarily (I hope!) turned a bit demanding. He struggles to stay happy very long b/c of this mean old reflux! We are on two separate medicines, one much stronger, to try to knock this out. We are sitting him up as much as we can to keep food and milk down and we are burping him 23 out of 24 hours in the day. (kidding, but it feels like it!). They both have started crying when I leave the room. It only lasts 10 seconds or so but its cute when I walk in and they stop:)





Food: We are doing so well eating. They eat fruits and veggies with no problem. While they have favorites, there is no food that they refuse to eat...thankful for non-picky eaters so far! (unlike Daddy, uh-hem) I nurse them 4 times a day (8, 12, 4, 8) and feed them solids after the 8, 12, and 4. We are working on getting a few ounces of apple juice or water from a sippy cup in the afternoon. That is still a work in progress! We are eating food that mommy makes or, if we are out and about, we are using the Stage 2 jars of food. They split a fruit and a veggie so it works out to about one full jar for each baby. **Still haven't tried Bananas yet after our barf-fest from the last banana tasting.

Sleeping: I'm struggling to remember the past month because the last week is burned in my brain! Before they got way off schedule from all of our travels, Jenna Girl was still our best sleeper sleeping all night (8:30p - 8:00a) without a peep. You can hear her coo and sing to herself in the morning and play and play! We joke that we have no idea what time she wakes up b/c he never makes a sound. Other mornings, she is definitely a girl after my own heart and is sleeping soundly...even after 8 am! Caden had spurts of back to normal with a full nights sleep, but would still struggle with reflux creeping up on him when he laid down for a while. He also started waking up at the same time each night and got stuck in a little rut. We started giving him a bottle of formula out of desperation to try anything and he did better a few nights before we started our world travels. We are going to try the formula at night thing this week at home and see if we see a difference. I can tell he is not gaining the weight he needs to be gaining so we may have to pull the trigger and go to formula for my little man. He struggles taking a bottle so we are getting creative in ways to overcome this little hiccup, too! They still take two naps ranging from 1.5 hour to 2 hours in the morning and in the afternoon. Caden is a side sleeper until he wakes up and we go flip him on his stomach. Jenna Girl immediately flips right on her stomach and stays there all night!





Clothing: We are definitely in 6 month clothes and just wear baggy 6-9 month outfits. We are in Size 3 diapers that we pull tight. :)

Developments: We have a big boy sitter! Caden said he wanted first place by sitting up before Jenna Girl.





He still does not roll from back to stomach so we are working on it. Jenna can sit up with assistance but doesn't last long! She is usually reaching for Cadens toy or paci so she falls off balance. She loves being on her stomach for play time.




Here we are working on sitting up. We start out like this....




and end up like this as soon as mommy walks out of the room...




Jenna takes the trophy for the first TOOTH! While we were on vacation, she kept waking up in the night super fussy and tough to soothe back down. I was about to loose my mind with both babies not sleeping anymore! But, in typical Jenna-fashion, there was a reason for her cry. Out popped a tooth! Front and center. We are now fans of the Jumping Johnny and Jenny. As long as you tuck them in with pillows, they enjoy swinging around. Jenna is our vocal child talking and ga-ga-ma-ma-ing VERY loudly. Caden chimes in after he eats and is satisfied...he has a very cute, softer tone.

We have had a fun month traveling and spending time with family. Looking forward to more summer fun with my babies!

We're going to the Chapel and were gonna get m-a-a-arried!

ahhh that's right! My baby sis is getting married this weekend. It is hard to believe, weird, crazy, long-time-coming, exciting, and joyful all at the same time! So in honor of "wedding week" I thought I would post about the twins first wedding this past weekend! It was quite an adventure to say the least.

Ryan's cousin got married in Fuquay on Saturday right at 1pm...that was a hard time b/c it was right after feeding time. We knew we couldn't feed here at the house and make it in time so we packed it all up and headed down to Fuquay early to do all of our feeding, burping, changing down there. :) Easier said than done.

We got to the church at 11:30...before some of the bridal party, I do believe! haha I forgot to warm up the bottles before we left, so we tried to get boy-scout-ish on ways to warm them up. Here was our idea: outside in the scorching sun on the hot hood of the car :)



Then, we had the back of the car packed with strollers, bags and bumbo seats from the previous few days so we had to feed the twins their babyfood in the front seat. Only a miracle kept us all from getting sweet potato and blueberries on our outfits.





Waiting to be changed, covered head to toe in bib and burp cloth.




The family had a nursery open for kids so we dropped the twins off and actually enjoyed the wedding! It was quite exhausting when we got home, but a fun day and a new "new" to put in the twins' books!





And now, we are off to finish the final details of the wedding! Please join us in praying for no rain, cooler temperatures and maybe, just maybe dear Lord, a BREEZE! hahaha

Yet Another Beach Weekend

We had an awesome time at the beach for Memorial Day Weekend. My sister couldn't join us so that meant the twins slept in a separate room from us...that means we got good sleep! yea! haha We had the best time taking the twins to our favorite spots and settling in for lazy nights at home. I think they are starting to be known as "the twins are back" in a few of our favorite spots:)

Also exciting on this trip was a DATE NIGHT! woo hoo. My parents kept the twins for us to go out and have a nice dinner and walk along the waterway. ahhh so nice. ugh no pictures.

We had fun laying around and kicking and playing on the floor, trying to learn how to sit up...







Here they are in their "prison jumpsuits" as Ryan calls them




Here is Gigi and Papa T feeding the babies. They claimed they were not racing, yet Gigi yelled out and stood up from her chair with a loud shout when she was done. mmmmm hhmmm.... Notice Papa T really getting into the feeding...complete with a mouth-open-demonstration. HAAAA !




We spent lots of time out on the porch swinging in the rocking chairs. One of our favorite places!






And now...without further ado...the most adorable babies on the beach. ever.







I love this picture...its like they are saying "to the left...to the left..." :)




And yes, we have Caden covered as much as we absolutely can...that poor bleach white skin is sensitive and will burn in a heartbeat! I also got some great alone time to sit and sleep on the beach. it was heavenly! The best naps always come on the beach listening to the waves. Thank you Mom, Dad and Ryan for all chipping in to watch the twins while I worked on becoming a sane again! :)

6 month / Easter Pictures

Thanks to my Aunt Alice, we took the twins to JCP to have their 6 month / Easter pictures taken. Needless to say, I'm THRILLED with how they came out :)

I can't put into words how I feel about this picture. The Ladies in the studio were trying to figure out how to put it up on the wall. Adorable! The pearls are more than just looks...It was supposed to be three generations of pearls: my Grandmothers, my Moms and mine. I forgot mine, so two strands are actually my mothers, but we are going to go with three generations ;)

Adorable little boy with a perfectly round head! haha

Love this picture of my two babies.

Caden cracks me up with this picture! I had to get one and put it right on our mantle. I love his expression!

And this is where they suckered me into buying the "collage" prints. I couldn't help it!

7 Months!

Whoa. 7 months. Yes, technically it's like 7 1/2 months, but life has been quite simply crazy...for a long time! It has been a tough month since I last updated about the babies, but God is good and has given us wonderful experiences and moments of relief. I'm looking at the 6 month post right now so I will just follow the updates using that order...because my brain is mush.




Look at all of that hair that C-man has grown! Jenna has the cutest big spike in the back when her hair is clean. (Yes, you caught me...its been a few days since the twins got a good bath.) We still do not have any teeth. How can this be!? Both kids, especially Caden has been drooling an ocean for months! I was hoping it was the cause of some of our irregularity and fussiness, but no teeth, no white stubs, nothing. I thought I saw red, swollen gums at one point, but I guess that is from them gumming everything in sight! The allergy problem has left us...hopefully for good! I have the kids out most everyday and we have not had any problems with any sickness. Praise the Lord! We go for a walk or run just about every day. The twins LOVE to be outside and in the jogging stroller.





You probably saw one of my posts from last week. Jenna has calmed my fears of having developmentally delayed children! (Kidding!) One day, she began convulsively trying to throw her legs over so she would flip on her stomach. It looked very violent and uncomfortable! haha The next day, off she went. Now, I lay her on a blanket and when I come back in she is a yard or two from where I left her...or she is all backward and hung up in a toy like the picture below.



She loves hanging out on her tummy and playing. Such a different child from our little side-head cocked crazy Jenna a few months ago! What is the update with Caden? It is nothing. He doesn't flip, doesn't care to and hates tummy time still. Instead of flipping (which he has the strength to do) he throws a temper tantrum and buries his head in the floor. Nobody is sitting up on their own yet. I am working with them more and more each day...I think Caden, especially, will be a happier child if he can sit up..keep that reflux down! Caden actually appears to be closer to sitting up than Jenna...it is so funny to see who does things first and how they go about learning to do all of these fun life-activities!





Jenna is still our vocal child. She loves to make noise and laugh out loud. It is pretty much the most adorable thing your ears will process. Caden has started making more noises after he eats which also is adorable.

Food: We are feeding two babies now and our grocery bill proves it! Both kids had no trouble learning to eat from the spoon and taking off trying new foods. I like to joke Ryan that his 7 month old children eat more vegetables than him...every day! They love every fruit they have tried: Prune, Apple, Peach, Blueberry, Mango, Apricot, Pear, and **Banana**. That last one gets special attention. The first 2 weeks I gave the twins Banana, after they learned to handle its consistency, they loved it! Caden would look like a little bird with his mouth open every time I went to feed Jenna. Then, one night (Mother's Day, remember?) They both threw up miserably and we chalked it up to an unripe banana. Well, about 2 weeks ago,I went to feed them banana's for breakfast. As soon as I got the spoon to J, she turned iron-lip on me and refused to eat any of it. Caden opened up wide and downed most of the bowl. I proceeded with my day as usual until I got them up for lunch after their morning nap. Then, the hour-long constant vomit session ensued with my precious little boy. He. was. pitiful! Jenna was fine all day. Caden never ran a fever or had any other symptoms. As soon as he was down emptying out all of his stomach, he was fine. So, unless any of you know something I dont, we are going to go with Caden is allergic or his stomach can't handle pure Banana. He has eaten it mixed with other fruits in a baby food jar and been just fine. Oh well....live and learn, right? It has been hard adjusting to nursing both of them, then getting them downstairs to feed them both. Thankfully, their schedule aligns with our normal eating times so its been fun having them at the table as a family. We are still nursing 4 times a day (8,12,4,8 ) and feeding solids at the 8, 12 and 4 (which ends up being close to 8:30, 1 and 5pm when we are eating). We eat cereal and fruit for breakfast, fruits and veggies for lunch and cereal, fruit and veggie for dinner. The veggies take a meal or two to get used to, then they dive right in. Jenna eats ANYTHING. Caden does his dramatic fuss then starts taking it like a champ. They love every yellow veggie: carrot, sweet potato and butternut squash. They tolerate the greens like Green Beans and Peas. I've also enjoyed making their baby food. I bought myself a used Babycook for my Birthday and have enjoyed buying organic fruits and veggies and making them healthy food. I know it wont last forever, but right now while their little bodies are absorbing everything we put into them, I wanted to put the right stuff in! I have been giving them their sippy cups with apple juice and water...right now they think it is a teething toy and just chomp and chomp on it. But they are learning to hold it correctly and everyonce in a while, they get some liquid out b/c they start coughing in surprise!

Sleeping: Well, who do you want to talk about ? If we were talking about Jenna, then get ready to catch your chin. She is awesome. We put her down at 8:30 and we dont touch her until I go in and get her in the morning...whatever time that is....anywhere from 7:30 and as late as 9 am a few mornings we all slept in! (usually b/c of a rough night from one Caden Little). I'm serious folks. I've heard her talking and cooing to herself for up to an hour sometimes in the morning. We dont touch her all night. During nap time, I put her down and she flips right over on that belly an goes to sleep. If she is not tired, she plays with a toy or her paci fora while, then rolls over and goes to sleep. Like I said, amazing esp since this was our little one that we had to sleep train for sooooo long! I have spent many days and nights thanking the Lord this past month for giving her such a sweet wake-up disposition and napping/sleeping schedule.

Caden? ugh. I love him so much, I really do. I thank the Lord for him every day. So dont let my gloom and doom description below fool you. But Caden is not my little boy Caden anymore. Something has totally snapped since the 6 month time. As soon as he went on solids, he changed big time. We have figured out that his reflux came back with a vengeance with the heavier food. He would arch his back and scream every single meal. Do you know how stressful that is!? He stopped sleeping thru the night at the same time. My little boy who slept thru the night, undisturbed since he was 3 months old all of a sudden was waking up SCREAMING 4,5,6 times a night. Side note here: there is a difference between crying, wailing and screaming and he was screaming. He also stopped napping his entire 1.5 - 2 hours in the morning and afternoon. He wakes up 45 minutes into every nap furious and kicking his legs, red-faced, wailing. Long story short, we have spent all month trying to adjust things and help him. In the spirit of being desperate, here is what we have done, any and all suggestions welcome :)

- changed medicine to the next level: Prilosec.
- changed to Oatmeal formula (to alleviate any constipation the Rice Cereal may have been causing?)
- Feed him prunes and pears / high fiber foods
- started giving him water / apple juice in a bottle to drink to get extra fluids in him.
- he doesn't want formula offered to him at night after we nurse...he acts full!
- put him on his stomach to sleep although he cant' flip over if he gets mad.

We have noticed a difference at meal time with the Prilosec. He eats much better. So we are in constant turmoil over what to do at night...let him cry it out? Maybe he developed bad habits when his reflux was hurting him? Or continue to help soothe him from his pain? Anyway, please pray for him. Please pray for us to have guidance on who to take him to and how to help him.

Clothing: We are in 6 month clothes! woop woop! Loving the fun summer outfits and seeing those fat arms and legs! We have also moved to size 3 diapers because I ran out of Size 2's. They are big, but we just pull them tight :)

Activities: Month 6 was the twins' publication debut. They were featured in the Campbell Times Magazine:



and also took part in a research study from Duke University. At one point, I could tell you what they were looking for, but I forgot now. What I do know is that Caden lost his chance at a Duke Scholarship...he was completely uninterested and kept looking all around the room and spitting our slobber instead of watching the video screens. hehe Jenna was much more observant and appeared fascinated with those big, beautiful eyes. Here are their Infant Scientist Awards:





We went to the beach for my sisters Bridal Portraits. The twins even got a few pics snapped of them included in her slideshow! But...I can't show you those yet..can't be a wedding dress spoiler!





We got the Johnny and Jenny Jump Ups...epic fail. They were not a fan. Oh well, not quite ready! But they looked cute though!







We took the twins to their first Relay For Life! This was so special to me...It was so wonderful to see so many of the volunteers I worked with for so long and to introduce them to the twins. We had a great time and the twins loved all of the action and noise!



All in all, another wonderful month with our little miracles. So thankful for you both, Caden and Jenna!