Eight Months Already!

My big boys turned eight months old on Wednesday. That's 6.5 months adjusted if anyone's keeping up with their preemie development list. But these guys don't look like preemies anymore. It could have something to do with how much they both love to EAT. And eat and eat and eat. They average about 3 9.5 ounce bottles per day, as well as 3 jars of baby food. (that's each!) Although their intake is usually the exact same, obviously there is a weight difference between them. I am not sure what the difference is but I'm guessing it's close to two pounds. You can really feel the difference when you go from holding Alexander to holding Max. Poor boy has Mommy's metabolism. Xander never ever stops moving. The kid is always kicking his feet or flapping his hands, usually keeping beat with any music in the environment. He is so getting the leapfrog music and lights drum for Christmas. Max doesn't do a lot of superfluous movement; the movement that he does gets him somewhere. He has been rolling from back to front and front to back over and over again for a few weeks, but now he lifts his chest and top half of his belly up and scoots in circles. He can go backwards too, although I don't think he knows quite why he goes backwards :-). Alexander began rolling back and forth with control about a week ago. And just today I noticed him practicing his brother's scooting trick. He's been watching Max for weeks (slyly snatching toys as the chub rolls by)  and I guess he was figuring it all out while I thought he was just being lazy. He's gonna be one of those people that takes a while try things, but always gets it right the first time-little perfectionist. Max ,however, is not afraid to try and fail. I love that about him, even if it does mean I have to rescue him from the corner every few minutes after he gets himself stuck there.

They both can sit if they are put into a sitting position, and can sit for a number of minutes with little to no assistance. However, they both have no clue that they are sitting up. So they topple over quite frequently, usually on top of each other. They have yet to bonk heads as they fall, it's probably because I always keep too close of a hand on them. They need to be a little more free to explore. I just don't want to see them hurt,ever. But with all this moving there are bound to be some scrapes and bruises. I just wish they could be my own instead of the boys'.

I think that swaddling them is hindering them from exploring on their own. Yes we still swaddle. Yes, I know we shouldn't. But we can't seem to stop! I try. Really I do. But they won't sleep for longer than 30 minutes at a time unswaddled. And I just haven't come to the point where not swaddling is as important an issue as the family being well-rested. Anyone that stopped swaddling when their babies were infants instead of newborns please speak up and let me know what you did! So far my ideas are weighted blankets or home-made woombies. I'd like an option that requires less sewing. Plus there's the issue of temperature. We keep our house at 68 degrees, and we all like it that way. The boys' room has an entire wall of window, and it gets really hot in there as soon as the sun comes up, so really it's about 75 degrees in their room most of the time. I just don't see an easy solution. Hopefully we figure it out before they turn five. I'm only half kidding.

Overall life with Max and Xander is great. They are such neat little boys. It is amazingly fun to watch them grow and explore. Already they have a relationship like I have never seen before. They totally  play off of each others mood, and sometimes I swear they are speaking in their own language. I can so see them being like those yelling youtube twins in a year. I love seeing them interact with each other. But I admit, sometimes I am a little jealous of their bond. Most moms are the single most important person in their child's life for those first couple of months; but I have been competing since before I met them. We totally have a cool three-way mommy/max/xander bond though, and that's not something everybody gets to experience. This adventure of parenthood is the most exhausting and rewarding thing I have ever done.

So, here's the monthly recap for each of them.

Alexander loves bouncing in his jumperoo. His favorite food this month has been bananas, he "oooohhhms" and "ahhhs" for them as he flaps his hands and stretches his neck towards the spoon. He loves listening to music and playing with his daddy. Occasionally he can be found swiping his brother's pacifier or monopolizing the crawl ball, which is still his favorite toy. Xander's favorite activity is being naked, closely followed by reading books. Today at Target he picked "But Not the Hippopotamus" and greatly enjoyed it when we read it tonight. He also especially likes "hand,hand fingers thumb" and "5 little monkeys jumping on the bed". At Uma's house (my mom) he has a stuffed monkey that he often holds conversations with. He really likes going to Uma's house, because he gets to snuggle with her and wrestle with grandpa. (Mommy can only entertain two boys on her own so much). Alexander enjoys watching Samson play, and happilyanticipates the day when he will be able to crawl after him. Most of the time Xander sleeps well, but lately his bee mini pillow pal that Daddy bought him at Toys R Us last week has been distracting him. Mommy sees him on the monitor turned towards the bee cooing. It is cute, except for at 3 o clock in the morning, when it is not allowed. I love you little Xander Mander. Happy 8 months, my son.

Max loves bouncing in his jumperoo, while squealing in excitement.  His favorite food this month has been yogurt. He is a picky eater, tightly closing his little lips when the spoon comes near if he is unsure of its contents. However, he recognizes the yogurt container and always kicks his feet like crazy when he realizes that's whats on the menu. He loves watching t.v. and rolling around the toy room. He often giggles at his Daddy, who tickles him with his beard. His favorite toy varies from day to day, usually he prefers to play with his binky, getting it stuck to his thumb and chasing it when it rolls away from him. Max's favorite activity is watching tv; he even watches it when it is off, presumably hoping it will magically come on. Today at Target he picked "Happy hippo, Angry Duck" and he kicked his feet in excitment when we read it tonight; he LOVES books.  He likes to go to Uma's house too. He loves his Aunt Allyson and often watches her every move. He gets a kick out of grandpa tickling him and loves "Uma". In fact, he gave her the name. He gets tickled at random things, often laughing at his toys or the dogs. Max has been sleeping a lot better lately. He had been waking up several times in the early evening, but since we switched the schedule he usually sleeps through the night without waking. He likes the panda pillow pal that keeps him company in his bed. I think there might be big pillow pals in store for the boys for their birthday.  I love you my Maximo! Happy 8 months lovebug.

Just another manic Monday

I've been playing around with my background. The robots were just too busy for me. I'm not sure what I'll end up doing, but I don't think the current brown background is what I'll stick with either. How did you get you current layout? Was it easy to achieve?

I've come to the realization that I either need to be a better blogger (post more, add pictures, comment more etc) or give it up and just work on a journal for the boys. I'd really like to continue to blog, but I think it needs to be a bit more well rounded, instead of long wordy updates about the boys. Any suggestions? I'm sure I have some sage twin parenting advice up my sleeve somewhere. I'd love to hear comments or suggestions. Thanks.

Hey ya'll (a vlog)

So Samantha over at Where the green grass grows posted a vlog. It's an exercise designed to let your readers decide if you have an accent or not, by asking you to pronounce words that are often said differently depending on the region of the United States you are from. I thought it looked fun, so here it is. I really don't think that I have much of an accent because I have family from Alabama and Pennsylvania, which probably evened my accent out enough. I'd love to see your vlog too, do you have an accent?

Here are the directions:
Say these words:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:
•What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

•What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

•What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

•What do you call gym shoes?

•What do you say to address a group of people?

•What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

•What do you call your grandparents?

•What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

•What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

•What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

And here's my video 

A beautiful, hearbreaking story

I came across this video through friends on facebook. A heartbreaking question of choosing life or death when our will to live is gone. Would your choice be different than his? I'd like to say mine would be, but I don't think we can ever know what we would do. 1000 days

Rockstar

I feel like a rockstar when I get the boys to bed by myself, when DJ's at work, and they actually go to sleep. It's the little things in life that make me smile :-)

seven months

How in the world did this happen? Xander and Max are seven months old (well actually 7.5, I am a bad blogger) One day we were awake around the clock, feeding and snuggling tiny little four pound bundles of baby goodness, and now we're surrounded by giggles, toys, and the immanent reminders that our sweet babies are growing up.

That being said, this is such a fun age. Every day they discover new things. They enjoy meeting new people and dazzling everyone. They are very aware of each other, and sometimes when they think I am not looking I catch them holding hands, or rolling over to get a better look at each other. They also often steal each others toys and pacifiers. Just the other day I walked in to find a forlorn Max and Xander, with his lips pulled up into an impish little grin behind his brother's pacifier. It's easy to know when this has happened, as Max still prefers the avent soothie pacifiers (perfect for sticking his thumb into, so that he can suck his thumb and his pacifier) while Xander favors the playtex binky (upside down is the best way he insists)

I am a little embarrassed to admit that we are still swaddling. It becomes tricky to get them swaddled and find proper materials to do so. the materials for a home-made woombie are sitting on my craft table. I am  really hoping that it may be the transition they need from being tightly swaddled to being free. I am also considering  figuring out a way to make a safe weighted blanket for them. That way they could still get the sensory input (if that indeed is what they need) while being able to keep their hands free. Hopefully I'll get around to these projects very soon.

The boys are eating more solids, and cutting back on formula. In fact, this week they were down to only 3 bottles per day, but I'm not really sure if they are ready for that yet. They love yogurt, bananas and sweet potatoes still. The teething biscuits are also a big hit, especially with Max. Feeding oneself is apparently very fun. They both enjoy stealing spoons during meals.

They continue to stay on a good sleep schedule and enjoy playing when they aren't sleeping. They love reading books, listening to music and watching backyardigans. Max is getting good at rolling over from tummy to back and back to tummy. He can usually get himself to the toys that he wants. Xander is content to lay on his back and wait for his brother to roll by with something he wants.

Life with these two is an adventure, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.