Catching up!

I have a ton to post about! We took a big trip to MS this month and had a blast! It was a hard trip as one would expect, but it was a great time to be around all of our family and friends that Jack and Lucy never get to see. They went to their first Ole Miss football game, went to the square, tons of restaurants, Fighting Bayou (hunting camp), Canton Christmas light show, touring future schools, Ananndale Golf Club, shopping in Jackson, met a ton of new "friends" (i.e. our friends new babies), and did lots and lots of playing with grandparents! They weren't spoiled at all while there (ahem!)

Jack and Lucy started really walking while we were in MS! Lucy started REALLY walking on Nov. 7 and Jack took his first steps from me to Aunt Kiki on Nov. 11! Jack started REALLY walking on Dec. 9.  We got him some "Keds" and buddy he was OFF! I know that I have posted about this before, but I seriously cannot put into words the relief Cal and I felt when we saw him gracefully walking across the floor. I have not ever posted this... but the doctors at the hospital when they were born told me that we would really know that his leg was OK when we saw him walking without any problems... I think that was awful for them to say, because you can imagine as parents, we kept that in the back of our heads for so very long. God made miracles happen in both of them.. and I know that it will never get old just watching them walk all over the house! Such precious miracles!

They are both making all sorts of animal sounds. They love to "hoo" like an owl, "moo" like a cow and "quack" like a duck. They repeat tons of things that we say.. they are just like little sponges! It is simply fabulous to see them both progress so gracefully!

They are both eating us out of house and home, but honestly Jack is eating the most now.. what a change? ha! They do still have 3 bottles a day, but the amount of oz depend on how much food they eat. They love bananas, strawberries, eggs, grilled turkey melts, Cheetos, crackers, hot dogs (they are really vegi dogs;) ), meat loaf, pasta, spaghetti, spinach, green beans, ravioli, etc...

They are both still really good sleepers. They still do 1.5 hours in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, and then still sleep all night and sometimes sleep in until 8:30! lovin it!!! I don't know how they are going to handle mothers day out without that morning nap in January! ahh... we shall see! :)

I am now going to start using this blog again as a journal... the monthly stats are sort of "over", I am thinking we are on a steady 3 meal a day pattern now, that won't ever really change that much again! Sort of sad, honestly, but happy at the same time! :)
They are doing and saying so many fun things and I am going to "try" and record it all here when I have some "free time" (what in the world is that??)ha!

We are gearing up now for a fun Christmas week here at home! I am so excited to start new traditions with our family! Just us! :)

12 months!

 JACK:

- you are still taking 8 oz bottles 3 times a day

- you are eating your meals like a champ.

- you are loving your cow's milk from your sippy cup

- you are starting to "toddle" from one object to the other.

- you are starting to say words and point at things with the intent of labeling

- you LOVE balls still... you and Lucy love to roll around together and laugh with our big red ball

- you are obsessed with "dada" and "awa"

- you love bath time and brushing your teeth

- you still nap for 1.5 hours in the morning from 10-11:30 and then again from 3-5

- you still sleep from 7:30 at night until 7:30 in the morning

- You took a big trip this month to MS and handled the transitions like a champ.

- you are starting to experience a bit of separation anxiety

- you love to hold and cuddle anything fuzzy

- you stick your pointer finger in your mouth and chew on it.. like a paci

- you are growing and developing so wonderfully and I thank our God every day for the miracle that is YOU!

LUCY:

- you are still taking 8 oz bottles 3 times a day

- you are eating your meals like a champ.

- you are loving your cow's milk from your sippy cup

- you are starting to "toddle" from one object to the other.

- You are also starting to take steps from me to daddy!

- you are starting to say words and point at things with the intent of labeling

- you LOVE balls now... you and Jack love to roll around together and laugh with our big red ball

- you are obsessed with "dada" and "awa"

- you love bath time and brushing your teeth

- you still nap for 1.5 hours in the morning from 10-11:30 and then again from 3-5

- you still sleep from 7:30 at night until 7:30 in the morning

- You took a big trip this month to MS and handled the transitions like a champ.

- you are starting to get over your feelings of separation anxiety.

- you love your paci- but we have now limited it only to naptime

- you have had a language explosion since we started limiting your paci to the bed! :)

- you are growing and developing so wonderfully and I thank our God every day for the miracle that is YOU!

11 months of amazing!

LUCY:
- You are taking 8 oz (most of the time you do not finish) 3 times a day. 8, 1, and 8
- You always have a good breakfast, lunch and dinner. You are also really into your snacks!
- You will eat pretty much anything that we eat. I just fix dinner for me and daddy and you will eat anything that we cut up and put in front of you! Baby food is no longer at our house! ha! You want to feed yourself... you will not let me put a spoon toward your mouth any longer! bittersweet!
- You are still sleeping from 8-8 at night and 2 naps during the day... 10:30-12:30 and then from 3-5. You have a snack at 5 and then dinner with mommy and daddy at 6:30 or 6:45.
- You start the whole "bedtime" routine around 7. bath, brush teeth, books, bottle and bed.... (lots of B's haha)
- You are not really into your electric toothbrush... you would rather brush your teeth with the motor off. :)
- You are standing on your own now and took your first 2 steps to me from your daddy this month. We started cheering and scared you and you cried so hard tears started streaming... you really haven't tried to do it again since then..haha... I'm so sorry we scared you, sweet girl!
- funny fact to record: you have ALWAYS done this...and it is hillarious. You are scared to DEATH of a bag popping (i.e. when you pop a new garbage bag to put it in the garbage can) You will watch us do it and then just break DOWN in tears. The noise does not appeal to you at ALL!! haha You started to react this way to a bag popping at around 3 months. You are so funny!
- You are cruising and crawling everywhere and can climb on top of furniture. Much to your avail... you can climb on top of the couch and then you will fall. You are learning how to back down off of the couch using your feet.
- You can climb the stairs and you get so proud of yourself when you get to the top.
- You are "Miss Independent" .... i sing that song to you often. You have such an independent spirit and it makes my heart so proud.
- You love to crawl all over the back yard and play in the leaves. You actually kicked your feet in the dirt and liked it... that is NOT like your momma even one little bit. As a child... I would FREAK out if my hands touched dirt, sand, or leaves! haha
- You are so communicative. You talk with your eyes... it is amazing!
- You can say the words: "ava" (a-w-a), momma, da-da, ball, wa (water), nonna, hi
-  You love Jack and watch him all of the time. Ya'll are starting to play together to sweetly and it is already obvious that he is starting to be your protector!
- You had cow's milk for the first time this month and you are not too fond of it! you will stick your tongue out and let it run out of your mouth when you take a drink... it is so funny.. I know you will start to like it soon! :) You usually take about 3-4 days to get used to something new, but you are extremely good with transitions.
- You click your tongue constantly... such a cutie!
- This year sure has flown by... and I have loved every second of watching you grow. There has been so many hard times, but every hard time had it's own reward. Being your mommy is the most amazing, wonderful thing I have ever done.

JACK:
- You are taking 9oz of formula 3 times a day. 8, 1, and 8
- This month... I am utterly sure of the fact that our amazing Lord has worked a miracle in you. You went from not eating one bite of food to now clearing your tray at almost every single meal. Cal and I will always be convinced that God put his healing hand on you... you had a true food aversion, and it is like God just reached in and flipped a light switch. You LOVE food now.. PRAISE GOD!
- You always have a good breakfast, lunch and dinner. You are also really into your snacks!
- You will eat pretty much anything that we eat. I just fix dinner for me and daddy and you will eat anything that we cut up and put in front of you! Baby food is no longer at our house! ha! You want to feed yourself... you have NEVER wanted me to feed you anyway! ha
- You are still sleeping from 8-8 at night and 2 naps during the day... 10:30-12:30 and then from 3-5. You have a snack at 5 and then dinner with mommy and daddy at 6:30 or 6:45.
- You start the whole "bedtime" routine around 7. bath, brush teeth, books, bottle and bed.... (lots of B's haha)
- You are really into your electric toothbrush... you start crying and whining and reaching for your toothbrush when we are finished brushing your teeth! ha
- You are standing on your own now.. but only for short periods of time.
- You LOVE balls... you throw them, catch them, try to dribble them.. and you say the word "BALL" every time you see one! haha
- You are cruising and crawling everywhere and can climb on top of furniture. Much to your avail... you can climb on top of the couch and then you will fall. You are learning how to back down off of the couch using your feet.
- You can climb the stairs and you get so proud of yourself when you get to the top.
- You are mommy's boy lately, but have recently started to become ALOT more attached to your daddy... you go into a DEEP cry when he leaves the room! You are becoming quite obsessed with "dadeeeeeee" as you call him! :)
- You love to crawl all over the back yard and play in the leaves. You started copying "daddeeeee" (of course) and started tossing the leaves into the air and watching them fall. You loved it!
- You are becoming so much more communicative. You have your own opinions and you let them be known! ha
- You can say the words: "ava" (a-d-a), momma, da-da (daddeeeeeee), ball, bok (block), nonna, hi, da (dog)
- You love Lucy and you get so concerned if she is crying.  Ya'll are starting to play together to sweetly and it is already obvious you are starting to become her protector! She was stuck in her bumbo the other day, and you crawled right over and helped push her out of it. I actually caught it on video... it was TOOOO sweet!
- You had cow's milk for the first time this month and you really liked it. You love to drink it out of your straw sippy cup. (you rather drink from a straw) :)
- You are really playing with your sounds and words this month... you will just let of strings of consonant/vowel combos.
- This year sure has flown by... and I have loved every second of watching you grow. There has been so many hard times, but every hard time had it's own reward. Being your mommy is the most amazing, wonderful thing I have ever done

makes the teacher in me proud!

10 months old!

I'm making this post quite a bit late...so I am going to try to remember exactly what J and L were doing at 10 months (they almost 11 months now) I write every milestone down on my calendar...so I should be able to do an OK job with this...but they are changing so much and doing so much more everyday...so it is so hard to remember!

LUCY:
- You are holding your own bottle now and taking 8 oz 3 times a day and you will eat a ton of baby food but are starting to prefer to feed yourself. You will stick a whole cookie in your mouth and start to choke..so you really haven't learned how to break off small bites that are manageable, so I have to do it for you.
- You are getting a ton better with your sippy cup, but will NOT drink your formula from it. I'm not sure why...I have to switch it back to your bottle every time so you will drink it! ha...we will get there! :)
- You are still sleeping well through the night, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. You also take 2 naps during the day from 10:30-12:30 and then again from 3-5.
- At this point, you were still eating breakfast in the morning with your bottle, lunch at 12:30 when you got up from your nap and then washing down with your bottle, dinner at 5:00 when you got up from your nap and then washing down with sippy of apple juice, and then having a bottle at bedtime (8:00).
- You are so great with transitions, and have taken everything in stride during this month of changes!
- You are cruising along furniture and crawling EVERYWHERE! You can get wherever you want to go in a matter of seconds!
- You love to read books...You will sit and look closely at the pages and turn them all by yourself!
- You love to swing in your swings outside that your daddy and grandaddy built for you!

- You are always smiling and so happy all of the time!
- You are saying, "mama, dada, a-wa (ava), ba, na-na
- You will nod your head "yes" at appropriate times...so I am thinking that you know what you are doing?!?
- You love to cuddle and read books and sing at night...it is just the best!
- You are growing and learning so quickly...it is crazy to think that you are now my little "toddler" and not an "infant" anymore... You are simply amazing, my princess!

JACK
- I still have to hold your bottle for you... (dr says it is a boy thing)- you are taking 9-10 oz 3 times a day and have still not gotten into solid food. You like to feed yourself puffs...but that is about it :)
- You are getting better with your sippy cup, and will drink better using a straw cup.
- You are still sleeping well through the night, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. You also take 2 naps during the day from 10:30-12:30 and then again from 3-5.
- At this point, you were still eating breakfast in the morning with your bottle, lunch at 12:30 when you got up from your nap and then washing down with your bottle, dinner at 5:00 when you got up from your nap and then washing down with sippy of apple juice, and then having a bottle at bedtime (8:00).
- You are so great with transitions, but not so great with the food transitions. You are so happy and easygoing with anything else that is going on!
- You are cruising along furniture and crawling EVERYWHERE! You can get wherever you want to go in a matter of seconds!
- You love to read books...You will sit and look closely at the pages and turn them all by yourself!
- You love to swing in your swings outside that your daddy and grandaddy built for you!

- You are always on the go and LOVE to climb all over mamma!!
- You are obsessed with balls! You can throw a ball to bounce it and catch it mid-air! We know for sure that we have a ball player in our very near future. It is just something you naturally like and your daddy couldn't be happier as he is already teaching you how to dribble...AND you actually sit and try to copy him... pretty amazing!
- You are saying, "mama, dada, a-ba (ava), ba
- You will nod your head "NO" at appropriate times...so I am thinking that you know what you are doing?!?
- You love to cuddle and read books and sing at night...it is just the best!
- You are growing and learning so quickly...it is crazy to think that you are now my little "toddler" and not an "infant" anymore... You are simply amazing, my little prince

baby bump

Guess what...you are not going to believe this, but this post is not about Jack and Lucy! haha...It is about ME! believe it or not!??! I dreamed all of my life about the glorious day that I would see a baby bump on my body. I dreamed and dreamed and stood in front of mirrors and poked out my belly and just imagined of how great I was going to look all cute and pregnant! OH, I just couldn't wait! I even thought about pictures I would take while pregnant and how I would go to the beach, and the pool and just not be at all ashamed of my little bump!

WELL..... "little" it was NOT! At the peak of my pregnancy...it looked like this:

This photo was taken the day before I delivered. I could barely walk from one room to the other without feeling like I was going to topple over or die from pain...one or the other! ha!

I am about to air out some of my "dirty laundry", so get ready....

I have cried and cried and mourned the fact that I was never really able to have the "fun" pregnancy that I had always dreamed of. That is all water under the bridge, though, because I would never trade one stick of a needle or one day living in that hospital for the beautiful creatures that are sleeping in their bed right now.

The reason for this post is not to say poor, poor, pitiful me, but it is a way to release some of my emotions and let you know if you see me running around still looking 6 months pregnant (ha)...these are the reasons:

You see, when I had all of those dreams and wishes about my baby bump...I honestly only wanted that bump for about 9 month...nothing more, nothing less. But, mother nature had another idea in mind... I have now had that lovely bump for going on 20 months. I have what is called "diastasis recti" (or what I would fondly refer to as "my own worst nightmare") ha

Diastasis recti is when the stomach muscles pull apart during pregnancy. If you have ever been pregnant, this has happened to you as well, but when you are 5'5" with a short torso and pregnant with "Laney size" TWINS....your abdominal muscles do not slowly pull apart...they RIP...or what my doctor likes to say "Those babies blew your muscles out...like a tire".  With all of this being said. I am 10 months post-partum, and I look like I am 6 months ante-partum. So... I went to see about having the muscle repaired, and I was basically told that I would be crazy to have the surgery to repair the muscle separation if I have any plans of having more children. I am completely certain that if the Lord decides to bless us with more children, we would be so grateful (years down the road, of course). My general surgeon told me on Wednesday that if I had the repair done, I would 100% (not maybe) blow it out during pregnancy if I ever were to become pregnant again. So, obviously, no surgery is going to happen until Cal and I have decided that we are through having children. I wanted to have it repaired, not just for vanity sake, but b/c I have an actual hernia...so for safety reasons, we wanted it to be repaired, but not if that means that I cannot have any more children. Now, the plan is to go to physical therapy to strengthen those muscles and PRAY that they will move back together. I am letting go of a lot of my pride by posting this, but I honestly would covet your prayers... I know that only my close friends and family really read this blog anyway, and I know that you, as women (or men) would understand how difficult this is....it could be TONS worse, I know. I do know that in the grand scheme of things, this is NOTHING! Please know that I am not sitting around belaboring this small inconvenience, but it sure does feel good to "let it all out" ha!

moments...

This has been a fun summer and we are trying to make the most of the very little family time that we have since Cal is working ALL OF THE TIME! He is working nights for the next week and I will be so glad when this "night-float" business is over! We took J and L to the pool and they LOVED floating around in their little floats. Lucy just kicked and kicked in the water and Jack kept hitting the water with his hands. They were so cute...

 They are pulling up to standing now and are cruising along the couch...their fave spot is by the gate where they can see mommy and daddy...

 Lucy-girl in her pretty bathing suit...

 looks like they are plotting something...

 Jack-man in his swim-trunks...

 Here is a pic of the playroom that I made for the twins... we LOVE having this room here for them to safely play!

 bedtime stories with mommy...

 GOOD MORNING!!! They sleep in separate cribs, but our favorite thing to do is to put them in the same crib in the morning and watch them play together...they are so happy in the morning! It is just the BEST time of the day!!

 They LOVE walking around the couch in their playing room...

They are just doing so many fun things lately...I feel like they are changing every day and I just can't keep up! I am just so proud to be able to watch them grow and change into the people that God has planned for them to be. Cal and I are definitely having the time of our lives!

9 month old movers!!!

WOW! 9 months have FLOWN by! I think about this time last year with amazement. This exact time last year, I was going into the hospital for my over 2 and 1/2 month stay in the hospital and in the bed (I was only home during that time for 3 weeks). I can't believe that on this very day last year, as I type this, my mom was on her way to Lexington to help me, and little did she know that she would be here for 3 months helping me while on bed rest (keeping me company in the hospital, bathing me, feeding me, getting Jack and Lucy's nursery ready, and keeping my home together while Cal worked), and then proceeding to stay with us another month after Jack and Lucy were born to help us with them. What an act of love and service...I only hope to be half of the wonderful mother that she is! She has always given 100% and I am so thankful to God for such a wonderful role-model as a mother.
Our little angels are 9 MONTHS OLD!!! This is so hard to believe! They are movers and shakers now too! Man, they are all over the place! Now, for the monthly updates...
Jack:
- You are 19 lbs and 2 ounces. You are 29 3/4 inches...ALMOST 30 inches...just one notch above 30~ You are 50th percentile in weight and 98th percentile in height! ha! You are one tall little fella!
- You are still taking 4 bottles a day. You are down to 7 oz. You are getting breast milk and formula.
- You are still doing a TON better with your eating. You are starting to open your mouth and accept some pureed foods, but you are much more into bland and crunchy! ha
- You are taking 2 naps a day now...you finally knocked out that afternoon catnap, with the adjustment of the daytime nap schedule. You sleep from 8p-8a at night and nap from 10:30-12:30 and then again from 3:00-5:00.
- You have breakfast at 8:00 when you wake up after you take your prevacid, lunch at 12:30 and dinner at 5:00. You have one more bottle before bed at 8:00!
- You started crawling on July 23...just 2 days before you turned 9 months old!
- You have started waving at everything and everybody! When we walk in to get you out of bed, you are frantically waving and smiling that big toothy smile!
- You are VERY into crawling. You are going everywhere!
- We made you a playroom out of our dining room the week that you turned 9 months old. It is WONDERFUL! You can crawl all over that room, and I know that there is NOTHING in there that will hurt you...well, I hope not at least! ha
- You went swimming in the big pool for the first time this month! You LOVED floating around in your float!
- You LOVE to splash in water, you will even lean over and put your whole face in the water..you are a very curious little person...it will freak you out a bit, but then you will lean down and do it again! ha
- You like to chew on your sippy cup, but you haven't quite gotten to where you will drink out of it on your own.
- You got you new "big boy" car seat this month. You were to tall to stay in your infant carrier seat. I cried the whole time the car seats were going up to the attic...I am such a sap!
- You are still obsessed with Ava, and will crawl over to wherever she is! You love to bounce in your "johnny jumper" ..you will swing in the thing and literally twist it and twist it and then lift your feet so it will spin as fast as possible and you will just die laughing the whole time...it is hilarious!
- You are truly coming more and more alive and turning into a "little boy". It is such a fantastic journey watching you grow!
LUCY:
You are 19 lbs and 15 ounces. You are 28 inches...You are 75th percentile in weight and 75th percentile in height! Perfect in every way!
- You are still taking 4 bottles a day. You are down to 6 oz. You are getting breast milk and formula.
- You LOVE to eat and will eat anything that we give you! :)
- You are taking 2 naps a day now...you finally knocked out that afternoon catnap, with the adjustment of the daytime nap schedule. You sleep from 8p-8a at night and nap from 10:30-12:30 and then again from 3:00-5:00.
- You have breakfast at 8:00 when you wake up, lunch at 12:30 and dinner at 5:00. You have one more bottle before bed at 8:00!
- You started crawling on July 20...just 5 days before you turned 9 months old!
- You are so sociable. You love people and you love to stare!
- You are not very into crawling... You will pretty much only crawl when you want to get to food, or get to mommy and daddy! ha!
- We made you a playroom out of our dining room the week that you turned 9 months old. It is WONDERFUL! You can crawl all over that room, and I know that there is NOTHING in there that will hurt you...well, I hope not at least! ha
- You went swimming in the big pool for the first time this month! You LOVED floating around in your float!
- You LOVE to splash in water, you were very cautious at first. When we started walking into the pool, you hung onto me with a death grip...you do not like to take too many risks! ha
- You like your sippy cup a little more this month. You still are not into milk coming out of it, but will tolerate apple juice!
- You got you new "big girl" car seat this month. I cried the whole time the car seats were going up to the attic...I am such a sap!
- You are still obsessed with Ava, and watch her all of the time! You love to bounce in your "johnny jumper" ..You like to grab onto Jack in his jumper beside you...you are SUCH a people person. I am SO glad you have Jack to keep you company sometimes... You NEVER want to leave my side! ha
- You are truly coming more and more alive and turning into a "little girl". It is such a fantastic journey watching you grow!

lots going on...

As I type this, I am watching Jack and Lucy play and laugh together...what fun it must be to have a constant playmate as they do! They have done so much over the past 2 weeks, that I just had to quickly blog about it as to not ever forget! Jack started eating finger food like a champ! As I have mentioned before, Jack is quite the hard little fellow to feed. Once he was able to be in charge and feed himself...all worries are gone! ha! He LOVES puffs, graham cracker, yogurt melts, and will occasionally feed himself stewed carrots. We are trying to stick to things that he LIKES and will melt easily. He has a VERY sensitive gag reflex and really only wants things crunchy and bland. So, in order to make eating a "fun" thing for him, we are giving him the things that he likes!
Lucy crawled for the first time on July 20th and Jack crawled for the 1st time on July 23rd! He couldn't let her get away from him that easily! haha! Below is a picture of Lucy right before she took off for the 1st time! I also caught it on video! I don't like to add videos to the blog, because this blog is going to be turned into a book and obviously videos will not work for the book! :)

We also caught Jack's 1st crawl, and luckily, he saved it for Daddy to be home and able to see this incredible "first"! We both looked at each other with tears in our eyes when we saw him so gracefully crawl across the floor for the first time! I am not sure if I have mentioned this on the blog yet or not, probably not because it has been a HUGE source of worry for our family....but, Jack was born with his right leg literally up beside his left ear. He didn't move that leg for weeks and also would not straighten that leg out. It was SO scary and we went through multiple tests, ultrasounds and physical therapy to help him move his leg properly. I did PT with him at home for months on my own. The leg has been perfectly fine it seems for months now and we had him double checked at Shriner's at the beginning of this month and heard only good news! His joints are fine and the little muscles that used to be so tight are now extending even more than they need to! We are so grateful to God for His healing. To watch this sweet little boy crawl across the floor and walk around holding our fingers is more than just the typical excitement that a parent feels upon watching their child meet these huge milestones. Praise be to God...and he is crawling ALL OVER the place! :)

Also, among all of this exciting news, Lucy is now starting to actually drink out of and LIKE her sippy cup! woohoo! AND Jack willingly took several bites off of a spoon that I was offering him! If you have ever seen him eat...you know that this is HUGE! hahah!
...and for your viewing pleasure...this is what a SERIOUS case of "bedhead" looks like.... hahaha

Babies Don't Keep...

...and because of this fact,

I just stare and stare...

 ...and stare, in utter amazement...

What a wonderful gift you are, Jack and Lucy!

8 months old!

Lucy:
- You are 19 lbs and 26 inches long. That puts in the 75 percentile in weight and in the 30th percentile in height! You are short and stocky...just like your momma was (is)haha!
- You are still taking 7-8 oz of breast milk four times a day.
- You still sleep from 8 p.m.- 8 a.m. with 2 2-hour naps during the day and 1 short cat-nap at the end of the day...you L.O.V.E. to sleep! :)
- You are eating a ton more baby food now and are liking just about everything we put in your mouth!
- You have eaten sweet potatoes, carrots, turkey and chicken dinners, squash, peas, macaroni, pears, bananas, avocados(you did NOT like them) mum-mums, puffs, crunchers, yogurt and cheese.
- You are rolling all over the place.
- You started walking all over the place in your walker.
- We went ahead and lowered your bed because you and your brother were starting to sit up in the crib and it scared me and your daddy...so we lowered it just in case you decide it is a good idea to stand up in there. ha
- You are still quite obsessed with Ava! You even try to say her name...You say "aaaa-W-aaa" with the same inflection in your voice that I use when I call her...haha! amazing!
- words you are saying: ma-ma, brrr (bird), aaa-w-aaa (ava), ba (bottle)
- sounds you are making: your gurgle alot, ga-ga-ga-ga, you do this cute high pitch "ahhh-ya" all of the time!
- You LOVE to jump now...you used to just sit in the jumper and sway, but now you do this little ballerina plie jump...it is just too cute!
- You are very social and interactive..you just love people and love watching them!
- You are starting to show a bit of a sassy side and do a pretty irritated little grunt when things aren't going your way. (I am trying to stop this before it starts...ha...good luck, right?!?)
- This month, you made you 2nd trip to MS and your 1st trip to AL. We went to Birmingham for a friend's wedding.
- Nonna and I baby proofed everything this month. You are both scooting and opening things now...
- This month you realized that you could blink your own eyes (not just involuntary blinking)...and you started to look at people and scrunch your face up and blink at them...it scared me half to death at first because I was (of course) over-reacting and thinking that you were having eye seizures or something, but then realized that you were laughing every time after you did it...ha...you got over it quickly though and have now moved on to new tricks! :)
- just for memory sake...here you are doing your little "wink" at momma with the camera...so cute!

- 1sts this month: swimming, cheese, avocado, road trip for a wedding, got up on knees rocking, finally clipped a bow in your hair, boat ride, Abner's sauce, 1st full night away from momma! (momma went to Memphis for a much needed girl's night)

- Lucy-girl...thank you for being you! We love you so much little princess!

JACK:

- You are 18 lbs and 8 oz and 28.5 inches long. That puts in the 44th percentile in weight and in the 88th percentile in height! You are LONG and lean!
- You are still taking 7-8 oz of breast milk four times a day.
- You still sleep from 8 p.m.- 8 a.m. with 2 2-hour naps during the day and 1 short cat-nap at the end of the day.
- You are a very finicky eater. You have a bit of a food aversion...but with God's help, we will work through this!
- You have eaten sweet potatoes, carrots, turkey and chicken dinners, squash, peas, macaroni, pears, bananas, avocados(you liked eating it yourself) mum-mums, puffs, crunchers, yogurt and cheese.
- You are rolling all over the place.
- You started walking/running all over the place in your walker.
- We went ahead and lowered your bed because you and your sister were starting to sit up in the crib and it scared me and your daddy...so we lowered it just in case you decide it is a good idea to stand up in there. ha
- You are still quite obsessed with Ava! You just giggle and giggle every time you see her!
- words you are saying: ma-ma, ba
- sounds you are making: your gurgle alot, ga-ga-ga-ga, bow-bow-bow-bow, and you do this HIGH pitch squeal that makes your sister cry momma's ears hurt!ha
- You are kind of getting over jumping..you would rather be running in your walker.
- You are such a "guy" and try to figure everything out..you will sit and study a toy for like 30 minutes to try to figure out how it works.
- You are so tough...you will fall over and just sort of grunt, but it takes a LOT to make you cry!
- This month, you made you 2nd trip to MS and your 1st trip to AL. We went to Birmingham for a friend's wedding.
- Nonna and I baby proofed everything this month. You are both scooting and opening things now...
- This month, you started REALLY trying to crawl....you are pushing up on your hands and your feet...your feet have the motion, but your hands aren't quite making the motion for you yet...you will figure it out all too soon, I am sure!



- 1sts this month: swimming, cheese, avocado, road trip for a wedding, boat ride, Abner's sauce, 1st full night away from momma! (momma went to Memphis for a much needed girl's night)

- Jacker-man...thank you for being YOU! We love you so much, little man!



My Heart...divided

I loved you the minute I heard you were coming. I loved you the minute you were born. Then I saw your face and fell in love some more. You were only a minute old, but I knew I would die for you and to this day I still would. When you choose to have a child, you make a conscious decision to allow your heart to walk around outside of your body. (in 2 directions!) :)

7 months!!! (somebody stop the clock)

JACK:

-You weighed 17 lbs at 6 month check up and 24 inches long...which put you in the 80th percentile in height. 

You are still taking 8 oz bottles of breast milk every 4 hours.

-You're also eating your baby food a ton better now!

- You eat oatmeal and prunes in the morning, a half jar of veggies at lunch, and fruit, veggies and oatmeal for dinner.

- You still haven't gone down too much on your bottle ounces, and that is ok with me :)

- You still sleep from 7p.m. to 7 a.m. (Sometimes you will actually sleep past 7 in the morning.

- You are graduating from your afternoon catnap from 5-6 (you will just do about 30 minutes now)
- You still nap from 9-11 and 1-3 during the day.

- You are sitting up like a champ and starting to pull your knees under you when you are on your tummy. You are still a ways from starting to crawl.

- You LOVE to take baths and giggle every time the water squirts you.

- You also LOVE Ava...You giggle every time you see her.

- You have the funniest little giggle...it is kind of raspy

- You have incredible eye-hand control and can manipulate so many things already.

- You got your FIRST TEETH!!!  You got 3 teeth in 2 days...your 2 bottom teeth and your top left lateral incisor.

- Your first tooth was your bottom right tooth!

- You are really traveling around by rolling...it is so funny...you go all over the floor! :)
- You LOVE to be outside. We sat you down on a blanket on the porch and you just sat there and giggled the whole time...at absolutely nothing :)

- You still like your jumparoo, but I can tell that you are starting to get interested in other things!

- Nothing is safe within your reach...you will grab anything that is in front of you, and you are so strong!

- You are such a compassionate little boy...I don't ever want you to forget the sweet kind heart that you were born with. If Lucy cries, you literally brake you neck to get to her to put your hand on her to soothe her. It is the sweetest thing in the world!

- I fall more and more in love with you every day, little man. You are such an incredible little spirit. I am just amazed watching you develop into the loving, compassionate young man that you are!

LUCY:

- You weighed 17 lbs and 6 ounces at your 6 month check up and you were 23 inches long. You were in the 80th percentile in both weight and height!
- You say "ma-ma-ma-ma"...literally ALL of the time! I LOVE it!

You are still taking 8 oz bottles of breast milk every 4 hours.
- You LOVE to eat!! You go "muah muah muah" with every bite...hilarious! 

- You eat oatmeal and prunes in the morning, a half jar of veggies at lunch, and fruit, veggies and oatmeal for dinner.

- You are starting to take a little less milk at your feedings!

- You still sleep from 7p.m. to 7 a.m. (Sometimes you will actually sleep past 7 in the morning.

- You are graduating from your afternoon catnap from 5-6 (you will just do about 30 minutes now)
- You still nap from 9-11 and 1-3 during the day.

- You are sitting up like a champ.
 -You are still a ways from starting to crawl.

- You LOVE to take baths and giggle every time the water squirts you.

- You also LOVE Ava...You giggle every time you see her.

- You have the funniest little giggle...it is deep and just the cutest thing I have ever heard in my life!

- You have incredible eye-hand control and can manipulate so many things already.

- You can now hold your own bottle!!! (this is bittersweet for mommy)

- You are not anywhere close to getting teeth.

- You can travel by rolling. You will start crying on your stomach now, for some reason...You know how to flip over??
- You LOVE getting dressed up! You will just pose for the camera... it is hilarious!
-You started doing this fake smile when you see the camera...it is like you already know what you are supposed to do with a camera! ha

- You still like your jumparoo, but I can tell that you are starting to get interested in other things!

- You stare at EVERYBODY! When somebody really strikes your fancy...you will stare at them for the longest periods of time. You would win a staring contest for sure! You don't even blink...I am talking 30 minutes time periods here! ha

- You are such a obedient and compliant little girl. You have such a spirit that aims to please and I want you to always remember the way that you were programmed at birth. If you do something that you are not supposed to do (i.e. squeal at the top of your lungs during dinner) and I tell you "No" with a stern face...You will just stare at me with such an apologetic face, and you will NOT do it again. I need to always remember, as well, that I do not need to go to extreme lengths to punish you...You have an extremely receptive spirit!

- I fall more and more in love with you every day, little princess. You are such an incredible little spirit. I am just amazed watching you develop into the loving, compassionate young lady that you are!

White Flag....

When Jack and Lucy were about 3 weeks old, I screamed "UNCLE"!! I threw in the proverbial "white flag" and called my friend Lisa about advice on getting a night nanny! She had someone that helped her with her twins and her nanny had a daughter that was looking for work as a nanny and had several previous experiences with twins. She came several nights a week so Cal and I could get a few full nights of sleep! I had to do it...my milk production was going down and I was trying to heal from 5 months of bed-rest and a C-section...it was just the only other option since we have no one here to help us! Susan came in with a huge smile and a lot of love! She saved my life, literally, during those first few months! Once the twins started sleeping through the night at around 8 weeks, we started using her during the day to come help every now and then. Susan is now pursuing another career, as her life is just starting and she is searching for the right career path! We were so blessed to have her help! She still comes over to love on the twins from time to time and I just wanted to document this and pics of her for our memory book...

Now... we have been blessed with another angel! Her name is Kristen! She is simply fabulous! She helps out on Wednesday mornings and Thursdays...just to give me a short breather! She swoops in here and goes straight to work! She washes and makes bottles, loads and unloads the dishwasher, washes and folds all of our laundry (that is HUGE), sweeps, cleans the kitchen, restocks our supply drawers, etc... She is such a sweetheart and she LOVES Jack and Lucy! She is just amazing with them! I come in the door to find her reading to them, playing games with them, and singing to them (she is an amazing singer by the way!) We thank God for Kristen!!! She is such a life-saver!!!!

night out on the town...

ready for a date night with mommy and daddy!

1st time in a highchair at a restaurant!

Lucy-girl was OBSESSED with staring at a little boy at the table beside us! She seriously did not move a muscle for like 20 minutes...just stared a whole though the poor boy LOL (maybe her 1st crush?) haha

Jack-attack and daddy! We are doing some serious teething! Jack now has 3 teeth...his bottom 2 and his top left lateral insicor! He has been a really good baby through all of this though! :)

My 2 favorite guys!!!

Lucy and mommy!!!

family pic...(Lucy is staring at the keys and Jack is trying to get into the salsa....typical)

pure love

the truth...

I have, in the past, been a bit put off by blogs that only talk about the writer's children, but I am at a point now in my life where if I am going to do anything in my spare time, it is going to be for my children. This blog is for them...a way to capture moments...but good and bad. I want to turn this blog into a blog book for them one day and I feel that they will cherish it when they are older.

I have also always used this blog to channel my feelings and emotions as I step through the phases of life. By no means do I want to air out all of my dirty laundry on here, but I also don't want to act like life is always a bed of roses!

 Parenting has it's ups and downs...mostly ups...but those downs are pretty intense! There are moments when I am not sure if I will stay sane. Moments when I feel like I am the only person in the world. When I am here by myself and Cal is gone day and night working at the hospital, and I have simply no one to call to come help me in this foreign county...I feel like losing it! Granted, I do have some very dear friends here, but they are mommies too, and are probably at home feeling the exact same way.

 There are moments of sheer ecstasy...when these sweet angels laugh at me and look at me like I am the queen of the world, and then there are moments of sheer torture...like when I am trying to pump and I am not making enough milk and both babies are screaming and Ava is barking and it is raining or cold outside and I still have to get dinner on the table and babies bathed and fed and bottles made and clothes washed and (oh yeah) MYSELF bathed and looking decent for my husband to come home! ha

 I have battled with breastfeeding like never before...and I am so determined to make it to their first birthday! I will do it if it kills me...but I am so over it! Please pray that keep the strength to go another mile! I have made it half-way! I can do this!!!! Cal keeps telling me that I have made enough milk to feed one baby for over a year...and he is right! That freezer would be full if there were only one baby...but to my avail...there is only 15 oz in the freezer..and I am a pumping FOOL! These TWO babies eat me out of house and home...and I wouldn't have it any other way!

 Yesterday was one of those days where I felt like I could not go on...then I looked at these sweet little faces...

...and I remembered what it was like when they were not here. Dark, sad days when I had no idea if I would have the joy of the trials of motherhood!  Days when I had no idea that I would be able to see my reflection in the child lying on the living room floor...but now I do!

 Sweet moments like this.....

They keep me sane!