Easter and a few stats.....

Easter was extra fun this year, with both Jack and Lucy being able to understand that the Easter basket had presents for them enclosed! They were so excited... but much more excited about the chocolate that was in the eggs! ha! Jack had ball pattern eggs and couldn't stop going through all of the different types of balls and naming them and eating the chocolate from the inside! Lucy was more interested in her "purse" that was included in her Easter basket and was also very excited about the chocolate in the eggs! I found some "Resurrection" eggs for next year that tells the story of Easter... They will have to find the eggs and the goodies inside tell the story of Easter... the REAL story! I can't wait to start that tradition.

The bond that is forming between these 2 little people is so surreal. I can see the love forming between them and they are also starting to plot! ha!

This is the best pic I could get on Easter of them in their cute little matching outfits.... Jack is fussing because he wanted to go back and see the Easter bunny and Lucy is fussing because she never wants to see him again in her whole life! ha! We had a funny Easter day that is worth recording... we went to church and got there on time... which should have been sign number one that the day was just about to collapse. ha. We went to a cute little brunch at the Red Mile after the service and the EASTER bunny was there! OH, poor Lucy couldn't take it! They even sat us right next to him and the poor girl couldn't even stop crying long enough to even think about eating. So.... we packed up and left the brunch! I just didn't see the point in paying all of that money to sit there and be miserable while Lucy cried and Jack just wanted to get back up and go talk to the Easter bunny. We decided let's just go to CiCi's pizza where there is a buffet with stuff we know that they like and then we can go put them down for nap... well, CiCi's was CLOSED! So... we headed across town to KFC buffet and by then they were both so ill and tired, they would barley eat... so we ate, and then went and loaded them up in the car. At that point we were hysterically tired and when I reached to open the car door of our Tahoe (our brand new Tahoe, I might add)... the HANDLE FELL OFF!!!! bahahah... at that point Cal and I just DIED laughing in the parking lot.... what else could go wrong on this "Laney family Easter"?!?

 

 It has been a while since I have updated stats and new things about these 2... so here goes....

LUCY
- you weigh around 26 lbs. and you are about 31 inches tall

- you are a great eater.. and eat just about everything that we eat!

- "po-peye" (or paci) just retired himself to only bedtime and you are taking it like a champ! You say "bye-bye po-pye" everytime you leave your room.

- We are trying to get you to transition to a "lovie" like Jack has... You found one that you liked and named it "moon"?!??? My only guess is you named it that because one of your favorite books is "Goodnight Moon" which we usually read before bed and that is where "moon" usually resides! ha

Within 2 days of taking out your paci, you started shooting out sentences. I told you one day after you said "bye bye" to your paci and put it in your bed that you were such a BIG girl.. and your response was "NO I NOT! " You really didn't "want" to leave it behind... but you have been such a trouper. You are always wanting to help around the house and you love to help "load the dishwasher" You love books and you love to take off your socks and shoes (ugh). You can say so many words and communicate so well that I have unfortanately lost count of how many words and I am terrible about recording all of the funny things you say! I have GOT to get better about that! You came running to me the other day pointing at your brother who was squatting and grunting in the corner and announced "POO POO!!" haha... I guess you get it when I tell you what you are doing when you start doing the same thing! ha! You can name some shapes and will say "ABC" and fill in the blanks when counting to 10! You will stack blocks for days and are really good at it! You are truly just a little bundle of joy and you literally are smiling or laughing almost all of the time! We love you so much!

JACK:

- you weighed around 27 lbs the last time you were weighed and you are almost 32 inches tall. You are pretty tall for your age... but I guess that is par for the course when your daddy is 6 foot 6! ha!

-You were giving us a little grief in the food department the last time I posted, but come to find out you had a NASTY ear infection with little or no symptoms... except not eating! poor thing... one good antibiotic shot did the trick (for now) We are hoping for no tubes! :) You are back to eating like a champ and you are REALLY good about trying new things!
- You LOOOOOVE your "webra" (zebra) and we haven't started to try to have you leave it behind in bed because I do not see how it could hurt your development in any way (the paci was holding back speech in your sister)
- You are a HUGE talker. You repeat everything and are saying more sentences than I can record here. You say what you want for fruit after dinner, you say "thank you, mama", and when Lucy hands you something, you say, "Thank you LaLa!" When I heard you say that, I pointed at Lucy and asked you, "What is her name, Jack?" You said "LaLa".. so I guess that is the new name for her! ha! I think it stems from me trying to get you to say it... "Lalalala Lucy" (I always repeat the L sound, because you used to say "Jucy") When you want me to do something, you say, "open, please" or "TV, please" It is sooo cute!

- You know a ton of your colors and shapes, you can say your ABCs pretty high (I have heard you go to R) and you can also fill in the blanks when we are counting.  You know every kind of ball (almost). To say you like balls is an understatement. ha! You can catch and throw extremely well too!

- You are becoming more and more of a joy each day and turning into such a "little man" We love you!

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

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

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!



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!

catching up...

We have really been enjoying these pretty days that are finally here! We felt land-locked for so long after the twins were born, and now we can get out and about! They LOVE to swing together at the park!! Jack just kicks and laughs...it is hysterical!

They are getting really good at sitting up supported and are working on sitting for short intervals by themselves! I can't believe that they are 5 and 1/2 months old! It is crazy!

Enjoying Spring days in the back yard! Such fun with these little bundles!

Uncle Brad came to visit and we were SO excited to see him! Thanks for coming, Uncle Brad...we love you!!!

I know everyone thinks that Jack looks like me, and I think so too, but I really do see some of the "Turner" family in him...and Brad looks just like the Turner's (Cal's mom's family)...I see Brad in Jack sometimes...and so does Cal! It is amazing how their looks pass down!

5 months! wow this is flying by!

Happy 5 months, my sweet angels! It seems like this time is flying by way too fast for my liking. I want to keep you little forever, but yet, I want to see you bloom and grow into healthy, happy young man and woman. You are both just blossoming in front of our eyes!

LUCY:

- You are around 15 pounds.

- You drink 8 ounces of breast milk every 4 hours (I pump the milk for you)
- You still sleep all night from 7 to 7

- You still take 2 long naps from 9-11 and from 1-3

- You are very in love with your momma...you ALWAYS have to keep your eyes on me...and I love it!

- You will whine until I look at you and then you will just smile so big!

- You have just started using your hands so much more.

- You have really bloomed into a little social butterfly! You are a people person!

- You can roll from front to back and back to front!

- You will roll all over the floor, so we had to break out a much bigger "tummy time" blanket!

- You are such a happy and good baby.

- When you smile, you smile with your whole body... you just shake all over when you smile!

- You still like to be swaddled to sleep (I know..I know...I am trying to break you of the swaddle)

- You are IN LOVE with your daddy! You just stare at him with such love!

- You have a deep voice like your Nonna, and your little giggle is so deep and cute!

- You love your jumparoo and we have already had to bring it up a level. You had to stand on a little wooden cutting board for a while, but within a few days, your feet touched the floor- you are growing so fast!

- Your nickname is "Lucy Ladybug"...and you are SUCH a little lady. You hold your hands so daintily together and when we pick you up, you throw your left hand out in this prissy little position and just look all around and take everything in!

- You have started eating oatmeal cereal with a little prune juice every afternoon.

- You like to blow bubbles in every bite of food (we are trying to stop you from doing that- but it is so cute) You are really a good eater, though! :)

- You have stolen my heart, little princess!

JACK:
You are almost 15 pounds.

- You drink 8 ounces of breast milk every 4 hours (I pump the milk for you)

- You seriously take your time to eat...it takes you FOREVER!
- You still sleep all night from 7 to 7

- You still take 2 long naps from 9-11 and from 1-3

- You are very into everything around you. You just get intrigued with little things and you have such a long attention span.

- You love to jump and jump and jump...you are very active!

- You have just started using your hands so much more- you want to literally touch everything!

- You are starting to bloom more and more into a people person.

- You can roll from front to back like a pro!

- You are such a chill and happy little guy!

- You smile and giggle when you are tickled and when you are jumping!

- You still like to be swaddled to sleep (I know..I know...I am trying to break you of the swaddle)

- You are IN LOVE with your daddy! You just stare at him with such love!

- You love your jumparoo and we have already had to bring it up a level. You have such long legs...you didn't need anything under your jumper to help you touch the floor..You are super long!

- Your nickname is "Jackerman"...and you are SUCH a little boy. You get dirty so much sooner than your sister, and you are only 5 months old...I think that this much be a foreshadowing for the future! ha

- You have started eating oatmeal cereal with a little prune juice every afternoon.

- You really like to eat your oatmeal- you are getting REALLY good at eating!

- You have stolen my heart, little man...I am so glad to watch you grow!

4 months!

The twins are going to be 5 months before I finally make thier 4 month post..geez..I am behind!
Happy 4 months Jack and Lucy!

LUCY!

• You are so smiley all of the time!
• You are eating 8 ounces every 4 hours. You are still taking breastmilk.
• You are sleeping from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• You are still doing great with naps from 9-11 in the morning and from 1-3 in the afternoon.
• You still take a little "cat-nap" in the afternoon in your swing from 5-6
• You can roll over from front to back (when you want to)
• You are experimenting with your voice a LOT lately... you make this funny sound like you are gagging and you think it is so funny.
• You have a DEEP voice like you Nanna
• Your little giggle is simply to die for
• You like to jump in your jumparoo (the Dr. told us to only let you touch with the balls of your feet, so we are going to have the raise the jumparoo soon)
• You love to be out and about...you LOVE to smile at everyone you see!
• You are not fond of being kept up any longer than your expected naptime and bedtime.
• You can reach and grab objects and bring them to your mouth.
• You have not yet discovered how to get both legs jumping at the same time. You just sort of sway from one foot to the other.
• You are extremely laid back and lady-like. You will just sit and stare and are not very hyper.
• You will go to sleep wherever you are if you are kept up past the time you are supposed to go down for bed-time or nap-time.
• You are SIMPLY amazing and we LOVE to cuddle you...you are our little chunky monkey! JACK!
  You are sort of a serious little guy...but smile every time we talk to you!
• You are eating 8 ounces every 4 hours. You are still taking breastmilk.
• You are sleeping from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• You are still doing great with naps from 9-11 in the morning and from 1-3 in the afternoon.
• You still take a little "cat-nap" in the afternoon in your swing from 5-6
• You can roll over from front to back (when you want to)
• You are experimenting with your voice a LOT lately... you scream at the top of your lungs...not in a mad way...just trying to see what your voice can do, then you bust out laughing.
• You have a deep little laugh, that sounds like a boy.
• Your little giggle is simply to die for
• You like to jump in your jumparoo (the Dr. told us to only let you touch with the balls of your feet, so we are going to have the raise the jumparoo soon)
• You love to be out and about...you just stare at everything!
• You are not fond of being kept up any longer than your expected naptime and bedtime.
• You can reach and grab objects and bring them to your mouth.
• You have discovered how to get both legs jumping at the same time. You want to jump constantly!! haha
• You are extremely hyper... you want to constantly jump and be on the move.
• You will not go to sleep wherever you are...you HAVE to keep an eye on what is going on around you. haha You are JUST like your momma!
• You are SIMPLY amazing and we LOVE to cuddle you...and give you kisses...you always open your mouth and smile when kisses are headed your way!

Happy 4 months my sweet angels.... we seriously thank God every second of every day that you are in our lives and that we get the opportunity to watch you grow!

3 months!!!

Lucy

• You are such a happy little girl
• You are eating 7 oz every 4 hours
• You still sleep 12 hours at night from 7-7
• You made your first trip to Mississippi this past month.
• You were Christened in Jackson, MS on January 16 at Christ United Methodist Church. It was such a special day as we committed to raise you in Christ.
• You started a nap schedule this month. You nap from 9-11 and 1-3, then take a little cat-nap in the afternoons from 5-6
• You still love to be swaddled to sleep
• You will sleep in your swing unswaddled.
• You walked around the square for your first time in Oxford this month.
• You have just started to be able to hold your head up a lot better.
• You are talking a lot more and you smile literally all of the time!
• You stare at your brother a lot...but he hasn't really started to notice you as much as you notice him.
• You can roll over from your stomach to your back if your arm in under you
• You love to pull on the chains on your playgym.
• You can sit up in your bumbo so good now!
• You L.O.V.E. Baby Einstein and really anything that is on TV ha
• You are not very fond of the car
• You are really starting to let us know your opinion a lot more lately! ha
• You smile this bashful smile- You smile and then turn your head to the side like you are showing a bit of a timid side. haha
• You are such a bundle of sunshine and I am so blessed to have you in my life.
• and you have just the cutest little feet.......Jack
  
  You are such a talkative little boy- you smile at everything
• You are eating 7 oz every 4 hours
• You still sleep 12 hours at night from 7-7
• You made your first trip to Mississippi this past month.
• You were Christened in Jackson, MS on January 16 at Christ United Methodist Church. It was such a special day as we committed to raise you in Christ.
• You started a nap schedule this month. You nap from 9-11 and 1-3, then take a little cat-nap in the afternoons from 5-6
• You still love to be swaddled to sleep
• You will NOT sleep in your swing unswaddled.
• You walked around the square for your first time in Oxford this month.
• You can still hold your head up really well and are turning from side to side looking around a lot.
• You are talk ALL of the time and you smile literally all of the time!
• You have noticed your sister a few times, but have not really realized she is there.
• You can roll over from your stomach to your back if your arm is under you
• You love to pull on the chains on your playgym.
• You can sit up in your bumbo so good now!
• You L.O.V.E. Baby Einstein and really anything that is on TV ha
• You are not very fond of the car AT ALL
• You are really starting to let us know your opinion a lot more lately! ha
• You love to coo and gurgle and your favorite game is to have someone copy your sounds...you think that is SO funny!
• You love to be lifted into the air!
• You are such a bundle of sunshine and I am so blessed to have you in my life.
• and you have just the cutest little feet.......
  

2 months!

Happy 2 months, Jack and Lucy...I am loving you more and more every day!

Jack:

You are the cutest little thing...I swear you get cuter every single day!

• You love to be swaddled and nap in the pack and play
• You smack on your paci before you will finally start sucking and will do this gagging thing when you don't want it.
• You are almost 12 lbs
• You drink 5 oz every 3 hours- all breastmilk
• You started sleeping through the night a couple of weeks ago- you will usually do a 12 hour stretch.
• You laugh constantly- you laugh while you are eating, sleeping, and awake.
• You really laugh on the changing table- coo and talk to me and the ceiling (we say that you are talking to your guardian angel)
• You really love to stare at your daddy. Wherever he goes in a room, your eyes will surely follow! I'm glad you have a man like him as a role model.
• You LOVE tummy time. You are really good at too, and will push your feet against our hands and move slam across the other side of the playmat.
• You are REALLY strong. You can hold up your head and "superman" on the playmat while you are on your tummy.
• Your feet are starting to "practice crawl" while you are on your tummy and you just love that you can move yourself around a little bit.
• You LOVE Baby Einstein...mainly the "numbers nursery"- you will watch it for 30 minutes or more. We are always amazed by your attention span.
• You had a little issue with your tummy this month and had to go see the doctor. She perscribed Zantac, but we hope we have cured the problem with probiotics and not the medicine. You are doing much better now.
• Your eyes light up when you see me, and you will go from a cry to a smile when you know that I am coming to pick you up.
• I am in love with you....we just fall more and more in love every single day. Lucy:
• Lucy-girl is your nickname around here...or "pretty princess"
• You are full of love and laughter...I have never seen a happier baby
• You smile constantly and will even smile at the camera- I think you are our little "ham"
• You are so cuddly and love to nuzzle up to our necks
• You have this funny position you get in while in your swaddle in the bed and you will stay that way all night long. You turn your head facing out of your crib and get sideways in the bed with your face pointing way up....and you do not move for almost 12 hours hah
• You started sleeping through the night last month. You were about 6 weeks old when you made your first 12 hour stretch. Mommy and Daddy were so proud!
• You eat 5 oz every 3 hours during the day- all breastmilk
• You have discovered your brother and will stare at him and smile
• You love to be swaddled and put in your pack and play for naps. You will literally smile and coo on the way to the pack and play b/c you love it so much. Your eyes will almost automatically shut when we lay you down in it and a smirk will still be on your face.
• You LOVE LOVE LOVE to sleep...you are like your momma!
• You love to watch Baby Einstein. You love the numbers nursery too!
• You really aren't that into tummy time. You would rather lie on your back and look around
• Your head is a little top-heavy, but you are holding your head up a lot better now!
• You like to watch TV and sit in your jumparoo.
• You are very particular about your milk. You will not drink a bottle of straight frozen breast milk- you do not like after it has been frozen- you will literally snurl your nose...it is hillarious.
• You prefer your bottle to be warmed. You will take forever if it is not.
• We have to use prune juice sometimes to get you to go to the potty, but other than that you are not having any tummy problems like you did last month.
• You are such a ray of sunshine and add warmth to our family that we didn't even know existed. We love you more and more every day, pretty princess!
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