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!

See how Jack and Lucy have grown! :)

I see the biggest difference between 5 and 6 months! I LOVE this age!

Easter and Mother's Day!

 My pretty babes...ready for Easter Sunday!

 This photo shows their personalities so well...Lucy, so daintily peeling back the paper and Jack, rustling through like crazy! They are so different, and I LOVE it!

 Our first Easter as a family!

Handsome Jack-attack!

 Pretty Lucy-girl!

 My mom and dad were so sweet to make the trip to Lexington to be here on their first Easter! We so enjoyed you being with us on such a special day!

Mother's Day:

 Cal had a "mother's day" spread ready for me downstairs when I woke up. He was on -call the night before and I had no idea that he was already home. I was expecting to go down and heat up bottles and pump before the babies woke up. He was downstairs waiting with a bunch of surprises! He had the whole day planned out! First, McDonald's, Starbucks, a card and a GORGEOUS Pandora bracelet with 2 booties (one with a blue sapphire and one with a pink sapphire) and a separator link with the twins birthstone (pink tourmaline) So glad my babies' birthstone is pink...you all know how I love pink...it IS my signature color!!! LOL I can't wait to add to this bracelet for years to come! What a sentimental and thoughtful gift! Cal, you are the best!!!

We took the twins to church and apparently, according to my cousin, the TV camera guy liked us...Haha...She said that we were on the TV at least a dozen times during the sermon. She said I was waving my hands around like a fool trying to get the babies to laugh... hmmm....should have been paying attention to the sermon, huh? haha

 Then we went to have brunch at the Crown Plaza! It was a yummy Mother's Day buffet! It reminded me of being at home and going to the Country Club or the University Club for Mother's Day! :) The above picture is classic! Cal and I were just dying laughing, because everything was going array...Lucy had just "you know what", and had to be de-clothed, and Jack-attack was just ready for the show to be over! haha.

Mother's Day pic with my angels! This will be a tradition...I can't wait to see what they look like next year in this picture!

(Lucy is shoeless b/c she decided that while she was sitting in her car seat at the brunch, it would be a good time to go the bathroom bigger than she has EVER gone before! Let's just say, her car seat will never be the same LOL!!)

After brunch, we took two very tired, but good, babies home and put them down for a much needed nap, while Cal and I took a nap ourselves! ha! Cal was so sweet and planned a carriage ride at Shaker town..but we were all so exhausted that we opted for a nice afternoon at home with some steaks on the grill! What a fantastic first Mother's Day! I will remember it forever!

6 months!!!! Time flies when you are having fun!

JACK:
- You are such a mover and a shaker! You are always on the go!
- You still sleep from 7p-7a and you take 2 naps from 9-11 and from 1-3 (it is lovely) You still lie down in your swing from 5-5:45 for a short cat-nap in the afternoon!
- You still take 8 ounces every 4 hours (mostly breastmilk)
- You are extremely hard to feed! You would much rather be jumping than eating! Eating is surely not the highlight of your day LOL!
- We just started you on some Prevacid and we are saying prayers that maybe you can now relax and eat!
- You are going in for a swallow test this week because I am certain that there is something going on with your suck and swallow reflex. You just have the hardest time swallowing. Your eyes will get all red and start watering...it is so sad!
- You are really not into baby food either! You will close those lips as tight as possible even before the first bite. I am thinking that you might be our picky eater ha!
- You REALLY don't like bananas...I have never seen such a reaction from you when we gave you your first bite of bananas. You pursed your lips like we had given you the most sour lemon around! :)
- You LOVE to watch this certain part of Baby Einstein where the duck and the horse are sharing 2 balls and 2 airplanes. You will stop and just smile during the whole part (I know...I am bad mother...allowing my children to watch Baby Einstein...shame on me)
- You are super long!!! You are in the 75th percentile in height! Somebody is tall like daddy!! :)
- You love the jumparoo and now are loving to scoot around in the walker.
- You are sitting unassisted and reach and grab toys that you want to play with.
- I was so proud of you for making your 1st choice the other day! I held 2 of your favorite toys in front of you and you looked them both over really good and thought really hard, and then grabbed the teething ring! Your 1st thought out choice! :)
- You can roll in both directions: back to front and front to back
- You are such a happy baby! Your laugh is contagious! You will just crack up laughing at Ava! It is hillarious!
- We love you more and more every day, my sweet little man! You are just gorgeous!

LUCY!

- You are such a dainty little lady- you are very slow in all of your movements
- You still sleep from 7p-7a and you take 2 naps from 9-11 and from 1-3 (it is lovely) You still lie down in your swing from 5-5:45 for a short cat-nap in the afternoon!
- You still take 8 ounces every 4 hours (mostly breastmilk)
- You are extremely easy to feed! You will finish an 8 oz bottle in 5 minutes flat! It is nice that I can feed you first while your brother plays...he doesn't give two hoots or a holler about eating. haha
- You have had your first little cold this month. You just had a little bit of a runny nose and a small cough...you handled it like a champ!
- You are starting to get some more hair! Such pretty blonde hair!
- You like to eat baby food! You started blowing bubbles in your food a lot, but after I told you "No" and gave you a stern look...you looked at me with such a sad face and you NEVER did it again! You are already showing such an obedient spirit!
- You really like squash and sweet potatoes!
- You and your brother LOVE to watch this certain part of Baby Einstein where the duck and the horse are sharing 2 balls and 2 airplanes. You will stop and just smile during the whole part (I know...I am bad mother...allowing my children to watch Baby Einstein...shame on me)
- You are in the 75th percentile in height! Somebody is tall like daddy!! :)
- You love the jumparoo (you just stand there and sway mostly) and now are loving to scoot around in the walker.
- You are sitting unassisted and reach and grab toys that you want to play with.
- You get SO excited when we get you up from your bed in the morning and up from naps. You just giggle and wave your arms around!
- You can roll in both directions: back to front and front to back
- You are such a happy baby! Your laugh is contagious! You will just crack up laughing at Ava! It is hillarious! You and your brother are both just loving Ava!
- We love you more and more every day, my sweet little princess-girl! You are just gorgeous!