Ten on the 11's

Hi De Ho! Happy September!

We collaborated on our 10-month comerative post - and had it all ready to go, but Mom has been so busy that she missed our 9-11 publishing deadline.

Poor Mom...her company is changing the name of their four subsidiary organizations to align them with the parent company, so she's been putting in lots of overtime at work lately. Everyone at the office has been asking about us, so Mom stayed up late one night to make us custom shirts and brought us into work for the breakfast celebration.



Hooray for Mom's Company!

Now that we're a little older and able to sit up on our own, we've been getting out more and more. Last week, baby storytime started up at the library again, so we go over there once or twice a week. It's a total BABYFEST! They set up blankets for us to roll around on, board books for us to read (although we prefer to lick them), stuffed animals for us to pull, and musical instruments for us to shake. We read stories, watch all the people and sing songs.

Last week, our Thursday nanny took us on our first trip to the zoo:

G - My favorites were the large animals, like the polar bears and the elephants.

F - Reptiles are cool, really, really cool...especially fish and snakes. I hope Mom and Dad let me have my very own snake in my room when I grow up! I'll feed it crickets, and white mice and my sister!

Since Mom and Dad joined the zoo, so we hope they take us back soon.

Cheerio, it's G!

Speaking of Cheerios, they're ok, but my most favorite food this month is fresh peaches. As soon as someone puts them on my tray, I double-fist as many as I can and shove them into my mouth. I've gotten much better at my pincher-grip, so less and less end up in my lap. I'm going to miss peaches when they are no longer in season. No wories though, I'll find a new favorite food.

Eating is Fun!

I now regularly roll from my back to tummy and sit up like I've been doing it all my life...no problem! I still do my signature move...start by doing a split, rotate my torso and pull my knee through.



I'll even often get up on my hands-and-knees and rock back-and-forth.

To keep myself fit-and-limber, I do my stretches in my sleep.

  

Me as Heat-Miser!

Hello, it's F!

August flew and I'm ready to see my first fall foliage! It's hard to believe I haven't seen an aspen tree turn from green to gold yet!

I sure do love my carbs! Mom's been making me toast with jam or butter in the mornings. She'll cut it into strips and I'll see how many I can get into my mouth. In the picture below, I've got ground turkey in spaghetti sauce and green beans. Yum!





Mommy told me that if I want to kiss girls someday, I have to brush my teeth

Now that I've FULLY mastered moving around on all-fours, I am ready to move onto standing. When Mom and Dad aren't looking, I pull out my yoga DVD's and can now do a pretty impressive downward dog pose. If someone (including my dog) sits on the floor with me, I'll get as close to them, get on one or both of my knees and try to pull up on them. I'll also try to grab the bars of my play corral, but I can't quite figure out how to go from my knees to my feet. Soon - very, very soon though.

Osh Kosh B'gosh!

 

Which slept first, me or Dad?


Hope you have a happy September too!

G & F

Milk, Milk, Milk

Yesterday I was determined to get out for a walk with the babes...and I did! During which, I listened to an interesting "Stuff to Blow Your Mind" podcast about milk.

I learned some interesting facts:

• It didn't surprise me that some men can produce milk, however many male WWII POW veterans who were malnourished started producing milk after they were rescued and started to eat again
• Giraffe milk (and meat for that matter) is kosher
• By 6 months, women in the US have their babies fully weaned (and a majority as early as 3 months)

In my case, I tried to breast feed but it took a long time for my milk to come in (even with drugs and herbal supplements). My breasts rarely hurt (even during pregnancy) or leaked (maybe occasionally in the morning). When I did pump, I had as much milk if I pumped 3 times a day (morning, late afternoon and before bed) as I did if I pumped 6 or more times a day - so I didn't see the point of pumping any more than 2-3 times a day.

When my milk eventually did come in, I didn't have anywhere close enough to sustain two growing babies - so I had to supplement with formula.   I did have a kind woman donate a cooler FULL of fresh breast milk to me - so that helped in the beginning.

As I am sure many of you find too, as a full-time working-mom who was quickly sucked back into a large project and 10-12 hour (or more) days when I returned to work, breast feeding and pumping was not feasible beyond eight weeks.

Here is a link to the web cast:

2012-08-30-stbym-mothers-milk.mp3

Enjoy!

Beasts of the Southern Wild - Enraged

For several years now, I have wanted to go to the Colorado State Fair that takes place mid-August through Labor Day weekend about 2.5 hours away in Pueblo, Colorado (if any of you remember the federal government's public service announcements from the 1970's where you wrote away with a self-addressed stamped envelope to request various brochures, yes...THAT Pueblo).

Unfortunately, the timing has never been just right - I've been travelling, the weather's been to hot, it was too close to my transfer or, last year I was too pregnant to walk more than twenty-five feet.

This year was no different. We had all our plans set to drive down on Sunday, but two babies had other plans...they were crabby and tired and the last thing we needed to do was take them on a 5-hour round-trip car ride. So, maybe next year...

Instead, my DH agreed to watch the Twinks and I went to the movies! I sometimes miss those days...when I would spontaneously leave work a little early to visit the independent movie house near downtown.

Upon the recommendation of a friend, I went to see Beasts of the Southern Wild. The movie is about a rag-tag group of far-below-poverty-level socitety outcasts living in a swamp just outside New Orleans. The focus of the movie is on a six-year-old beautiful african american girl who needs to learn to live life on her own.

I am not sure if the movie's creator ultimately intended his audience to walk out of the theater feeling happy and uplifted because it was evident that this little girl will somehow survive, but from almost the opening scene my heart felt broken and sad.

In my eyes, it was a bunch of uneducated drunks raising children they didn't really want in a swampy, smelly, unsanitary garbage dump. The kids were often neglected, hungry, abused and loved only between fits of rage. All I could think about was the last five years of my life...how much our hearts burned to start our family, the sacrifices, uncertanity and heartache we faced along the way, and how much I loved our two little human beings that I knew would be waiting for me when I arrived home.

I am not a violent person, but I wanted to jump through the screen, grab many of the characters tightly around the neck, shake them back and forth and scream at the top of my lungs. Don't they know what a special gift they had been given?! Why do they think that it's perfectly ok to neglect their kids, not provide basic food, clothing and shelter for them, trap them in filth and pass out drunk night-after-night?!

Knowing that there are so many loving, stable homes out there, why didn't these adults make the ultimate sacrifice and put these kids up for adoption? It brought me back to our screwed-up foster system and the messed-up belief that the best place for a child is always with his or her birth parents. Bullcrap!Bullcrap! Bullcrap!

I know things are never going to change in our society, but I can still wish that every child is wanted, loved, protected and valued.

G's New Favorite Food

G decided her new favorite food is what we had for dinner last night - fresh-caught Alaska Sockeye salmon. This morning she had Cheerios and salmon...or as our nanny pointed out - baby bagels and Lox!
What a wonderful way to celebrate before Shabbat starts tonight!

9 Month Checkup - Part 2 of 2

Sorry it took me a few days to get this posted. I had a virus attack as I was in the middle of typing this post...so I'm back online now.

Saturday was the twins' 9 month check-up. Normally, we see the nurse-practitioner, but yesterday I specifically asked if we could see the doctor because it's been awhile. Good thing I insisted on this - lesson learned (more below).

First, the twins are doing great as far as growth.

F weighs 18 lbs. 1 oz. and is 26.5" long. He's 50th % for height and weight.

G weighs 18 lbs. 13 oz and is also 26.5" long. She is 50% for weight and 75% for height.

This surprises me a bit:

1. Carrying them in their car seats, I would have guessed they were closer to 22 lbs. They are HEAVY!

2. I would have guessed F would have been toward the top of the range for height since his legs and torso appear so long. I also would have guessed G would have been average for height.  I never would have guessed they are the same height.

F has three teeth that have broken through already (two bottom and one top) and the other top, front one is very close. G has many teeth that are in the process of breaking through. Shouldn't be long before she has a whole row of pearly-whites on top!

Eating & Teeth
They are eating great, but the pediatrician said it's time to start on solids vs. purees. At every meal, we should offer diced food. Just about everything is free-game now except "sticky" foods like honey and peanut butter. Also, eggs are a no-no. He didn't mention strawberries or foods with seeds like tomatoes, but I think I am going to wait longer on those. He also didn't mention juice, but I see no reason for juice to be part of their diet - ever.

He did say we should be brushing their teeth at least once before they go to bed. So far, they seem to tolerate it some days and not so much other days. I guess a little brushing is better than none at all.

Another "suggestion" he made was to try to get them off bottles. So, this weekend our kitchen was transformed into a sippy-cup test-site. We tried a couple brands about a month ago, but it was too soon. When we tried them again Saturday, both babies screamed and cried, so we reverted to bottles for the rest of the day. I think they were teething.

On Sunday, F changed his mind and decided a Nuby sippy cup with a soft nipple was ok, but G wasn't game - so it was a trip to the "boutique" baby store for her.

We tried a "sippy spout" attachment from OrganicKidz that turns a bottle into a sippy cup:

http://www.amazon.com/organicKidz-Narrow-Necked-Sippy-Spout/dp/B002QGPNGM

Nope, she wouldn't have that either.

Ultimately, she settled on a $13 Zoli Bot and LOVES it.

http://www.amazon.com/Zo-li-Bot-Straw-Sippy-Cup/dp/B0031E1GEG

It took her about five minutes to figure out how the straw works, but once she did, she was delighted to get a full mouth of formula with minimal effort.

What can I say? She's already starting to develop expensive tastes...and to see the smile on her face when she finally found a sippy cup she likes makes it worth every penny!


Hint: If you decide to try these too, the Bbox is the SAME cup - only different colors a couple dollars less (but I didn't discover that until later that night)
http://www.amazon.com/Bbox-BOT-Sippy-Cup-Blue/dp/B008D93LYC

Also, you'll need to purchase a cleaning kit:

http://www.amazon.com/Zo-li-Replacement-Straw-Brush-Pack/dp/B004SGUGQK

So far, they are doing pretty good with food. G rolls it around on her tongue and then spits them out. She hasn't picked a favorite food yet...I am sure she will soon (especially since she hasn't had ice cream yet)!

F LOVES diced rotisserie chicken from Costco. I put some mangoes and diced chicken on his tray and he picked the chicken out. He then whined for two more "servings"!

Physician vs. Nurse

OK - back to why it's important to see a physician vs. nurse...

As I've told you, G hasn't been rolling much. Over the last 2-3 weeks, she has been flipping herself from her back to tummy, but not really from front-to-back. In looking at her, the pediatrician thought she might have hip displaysia - where the ball at the top of the femur doesn't connect to the hip properly.

Even though she had the same "symptoms" at her six months checkup and I even called the nurse (same one that saw them at their last checkup) about six weeks ago and mentioned this again. She made it sound like it's no big deal and we could wait until their nine-month checkup. The doctor was clearly much more concerned when he started to examine G.

There is no conclusion if hip displasia is genetic or caused by external factors - like a baby's position in the womb - but girls tend to have it more than boys, and first born children tend to have it more than subsequent ones.

At this point, she would have been too old for a Pavlik harness (a temporary cast that stays on for about 3 months), so the solution would have been surgery followed by a full-body-cast for 3-9 months. To say I was worried all weekend was an understatement. I felt like I failed my daughter because I assumed she was developing at her own rate and didn't push it further. Maybe I should have...

So, first thing Monday morning we were at the Children's Hospital getting x-rays. Then, we had to wait most of the day for our doctor to call us with the results. Waiting for the call was like going through the first few weeks of my pregnancy all over again...I knew there was nothing I could do, but I was dying for an answer!

It was a HUGE relief to learn that she does NOT have displaysia, but the doctor did suggest I call our Early Intervention program to get her some physical therapy.

We are thankful to live in a state that supports early childhood development and will send a therapist to our home at no charge to us. Thank you to the taxpayers in our state!

So, there you have it...nine months and doing great!

Happy 0.75 Birthday to Us - Girls Rule! (Part 1 of 2)

Happy 11th of the month and 3/4 birthday to us Twinks!

This month, I am going to assert myself (trust me, I have no problem doing that at home) and post this month's update all by myself (C'mon girls, you didn't REALLY think my brother was the "engine and brains" behind this operation, did you?).



Going Incognito

The other day, Mom was searching for a picture and stumbled upon some almost-newborn pictures that she forgot she took:

...And Now

...Then

Even though I can change my hair color on a whim by sitting in a different light, for the time being I prefer to be a strawberry blond vs. brunette.

The highlight of the month, by far, was when Mom took us to New York to meet our cousins  and other family members. 

Our cousin in the stripes was born about two months before us, and our other cousin is 2 1/2.

Even though we got delayed in the airport the WHOLE DAY due to bad thunderstorms at La Guardia, we thought it was pretty cool to find an out-of-the way spot on the floor and roll around and play all day with our Mommy.

We didn't get to "The City," but we did get to experience some of the quintessential things every New Yorker should do, like:

Learn to Drive a Taxi!

...and PTHHHHHH at the other crappy drivers!

We also went to the Jersey Shore and saw the ocean for the first time:

On the Boardwalk
I'm looking at the ocean and my brother is looking at girls in teeny-weenie bikinis

Jersey Boys

On the Beach With Mom

On Sunday, our Grandpa threw a brunch in our honor where we got to meet lots of our relatives:

F and Aunt M  

Me and Grandma Mia

F, Cousin L and PapPap

Us with Mia and PapPap

Me and Aunt J

As for getting to where we need to be, my brother army-crawls or gets up on his knees and rocks back-and-forth. I am rolling over from my back to stomach more (but still only when I want). So, when Mommy and Daddy put me to bed on my back, they'll often find me on my tummy in the morning. I have also decided that crawling forward is too simple, so I've developed my own method of getting around. I lay on my tummy, plant one foot into the ground and rotate with my hands until I'm in a full split,

I bet Jagger can't move like this!

'll then move my stretched leg and do it again. It gets me where I need and is much more graceful for a girlie-girl like me. I can also do a "backwards frog" when I need to go in reverse.

Today was a big day for me. From the split you see me doing above, I pushed and pushed and pushed toward my torso and sat myself up for the very first time with no help!

Today, my brother did the same thing, only he needs to do it "side-saddle" (by rolling on his tummy, swinging his legs toward his shoulders and pushing up on his elbows.

Now that we're semi-mobile, Mom set up our play yard and I have decided that green is my favorite color. I gravitate toward all the green toys. My favorite game is to pull the edges off my puzzle playmat, hold the end between my fingers, and swing them through the air to fight off imaginary dragons. 



At last count, I slayed six, left one half-obliterated and rescued a knight in rusting armor

A few nights these past couple weeks, Mommy has let us stay up late and watch the London Olympics. It's ok, but jumping in our Jumperoos and eating the toys is much more entertaining.

My brother also likes to sit in his ez-recliner and read:

Even though my brother thinks he can "steal the show" around here sometimes, I still love him...

Giving my "little" brother kisses

Me and My Forever Bro'

Now you know what's up with me! Happy August!

Happy Friday!

I've been very busy this week (pulling several late nights at the office). So, in lieu of a post, thought I'd brighten your weekend with a picture instead.

We had a Groupon to one of my favorite restaurants that would have expired, so on Tuesday night we decided to break from the norm and celebrate nothing more than the pure and simple fact that we were all together. Also, I wanted to break out these outfits before they became too small...

 Enjoy!