Where has the time gone

I am such an erratic blogger. I will post 10 posts one day and then nothing for two weeks. My blog is very reflective of my schedule. We are on the second week of the quarter and things are beginning to slow down again. The end and the beginning of each quarter are so busy for me as I get a new crop of students every quarter. This is also a crazy time with cheerleading. I have practice or games almost every day. I love my girls but I am really ready for this season to be over so I have time at home with my babies :)

Here's a little photo journal of what we've been up to!

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Holden does not like oatmeal... unless it has an entire banana mixed in! He is his father's child.

Have you tried this? It is amazing. It is not amazing for your thighs.

my little girl is getting so long! I think we are finally starting to catch up in height and weight!

practicing his wind up and pitch

GAB (great aunt barbara, my mom's sister) came to visit!

Emma Cate hung out on the chairs at the mall while I ate yogurt and a ton of people stopped by to check out the babies. Holden slept... typical male

Holden has the brightest blue eyes. This picture (like all of them) is straight from the camera.

We went on a walk at the park and had a mini photo shoot.

my sweet girl

Loving sunday mornings spent cuddling in bed

hand holding

biggest eyes

quite the ham!

caught mid-vom... i know you appreciate me sharing this one

aw.

not so sure about this one

These bottle holders from Lil helpers are amazing.

We went to the Dr. with Gigi to learn about her lumpectomy. The babies behaved pretty well and enjoyed playing on this big chair while waiting for her appointment! The lounge around is right in the middle of the huge cancer center you would not believe the amount of men that stopped by to comment on the babies. It was fun to bring a smile to so many people!

Holden LOVES my iphone. He likes it when I put is on camera and he can look at himself. This is his first "selfie".

so yes, we still bath our 7 month olds in the sink. We actually just switched the bath tub last night and I hated it! Bending over and trying to wash two bodies while being sandwiched between the toilet and tub is hard! The babies LOVE bath time so we may just let them play in the big tub and move them to the sink when it is time to wash them.

Someone loves his exersaucer.

This little girl loves watching the doggies

Hey mom! we are still working with Emma Cate to use her arms more! We have our second round of physical therapy today and I am looking forward to it!

Emma Cate in her Pea hat loving the exercauser

Holden says it is time to stop with the pictures and start playing!

I look like a crazy peron here but Emma Cate LOVES when you squish your face into her neck and nuzzle her. She laughs out loud in the cutest giggle. I need to record it!

This is right after Holden hit his head on the fan. It's been a long time coming but at least the fan wasn't on. I think Daddy learned a lesson.

Holden like to eat hair.

How freaking cute are babies when they are asleep on you. This is my favorite. 

7 Months

Emma Cate and Holden,
You are SEVEN months old!

What our life is like:

I wake up at 5:40 and pump. I'm pumping around 18 ounces each morning. My supply is still decreasing but I'm working on it, regardless, you are still getting 100% breastmilk. We use the freezer stash when I don't produce enough. We wake you up around 6:45am for a diaper change. Recently you have both been leaking your diapers in the morning. You sleep 12 hours and are super heavy wetters. We have to make sure we put them on really well the night before!

You eat a 6oz bottle at 7am and then a solid around 8am. So far you have tried bananas, oatmeal, prunes, apples, green beans and avocado. Emma Cate LOVES oatmeal and Holden bananas. We've been feeding Holden prunes because he gets a little backed up (sorry bud!). Neither of them loved the green beans. The avocado goes down well some days and they both hate it others.

Development has taken off this month! Holden is great at rolling from back to tummy and does it when prompted to reach a toy. I was so excited to catch it on video. We are working with Emma Cate on rolling over. Every night we put her to sleep on her back and find her on her tummy the next morning. We've never seen her actually do it though. We started PT for Emma Cate today. The therapist said she has great neck and back strength but we've got to get her to start rolling over and using her arms. We had a great time and I really like the therapist. Both babies are sitting up by themselves. We have to set them there but they stay pretty well by themselves. We've had a few bobbles forward and some head banging but they are very happy overall! Emma Cate continues to talk up a storm. She like to do it most in the car and I've got to remember to record her little voice. You both still love your exersaucers but we're going to be working more on the floor for the next few months to work on the rolling over and crawling stuff.

You both nap from 8:30 or 9 until 10. Around 10:30 you eat another 6oz bottle and at 11:15 you have another solid food. You nap from 12-1:30 and then have another bottle at 2pm and at 4:30. You nurse at 6:45 or 7 and are both in bed by 7:30. You both sleep through the night and its is amazing. I couldn't imagine still getting up and feed during the night.

I can't believe that we have reached the closer to a year than being born mark of 7 months. Holden you are starting to look like a little boy more and more each day. You are quick to smile at me and are mommy's little snuggler. Emma Cate, you are filling out and becoming my little chunky monkey! I'm loving your rosy cheeks and chunky thighs!


Emma Cate:
Nicknames:  P (daddy's nickname for you), Emma Tate, Taters (we use this one the most), Cate. We've started calling you Tatie Boo this month too. Sorry for all the confusion!
Weight: you were 12lbs 11oz at your 6 month appointment
Height: not sure
Hair: A blondish brown, still pretty bald though! We learned that your eyebrows just had some dry skin and a little aquaphor and everything cleared up beautifully! 
Eyes: Blueish grey
Clothes: You are in mostly 6 month clothes with a few 3-6s thrown in. They are all a little big on you though!
Diapers: Using the Bumgenius 4.0 and Freedom. 
Eating: 6oz for 3 bottles a day and 5oz for the 4th bottle. You nurse before bedtime. Two solid feeding a day, normally plain or banana oatmeal for breakfast and a fruit or veggie for lunch.
Likes: Watching TV (I've got to keep an eye on this habit!), your pink blanky, watching mommy cook, your bottle, your paci, standing up, watching Holden, your Sophie teether, and ball with the holes in it, looking in the mirror, talking, being tossed in the air, being tickled around your neck.
Dislikes: tummy time (but its getting better!)
Development: Sitting up, grabbing for toys and holding them, 
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet!


Extra: You are coming back around Emma Cate! You are SUCH a happy baby and I love you to pieces. You always bring a smile to my face. My favorite thing is waking you up in the morning. While Holden is an early riser, you are a sleeper! I am excited when its finally time to wake up up. We turn on the lights and rush to your crib to see what crazy position you are lying in! You blink a few times to wake up and then give us the biggest sweet smile and cuddles. I love it! You have also started doing this really silly dolphin move when we hold you or lay you on your tummy. It is SO funny! 

You are such a happy baby! You light up when someone you know enters the room and you squeal with delight! I am so proud of how well you did at therapy and can't wait to see the results. I love feeding you and you love to eat just about anything we give you. You are very independent and like to entertain yourself or watch others. When Holden cries, you look at him like "Um why are you doing that"? You aren't a big cuddler but occasionally you'll sit with me while I'm watching TV. I'll take it when I can! You may be a good sleeper but you are generally not a good napper. You love to see what is going on. I took you to the mall in the bjorn and pushed Holden while he slept in the stroller. You were in heaven. You flirted with anyone that walked by, smiling and squealing for attention! Too cute! I love you so much Emma Cate!

Holden
Nicknames: Holdy and Holds. You go by Holden most of the time. Nicknames aren't really sticking for ya.
Weight: 12lbs 13oz
Height: Can't remember but I have it written down somewhere. You are in the 25% for height. You are long and skinny.
Hair: blond. It continues to grow!
Eyes: Blue
Clothes: 6 months and 3-6. You are tall for your clothes but they are huge on you because you are sooo skinny.
Diapers: Bumgenius 4.0 and freetime. They are set one snap bigger than the smallest size.
Eating: 6oz bottles 4 times a day and nursing at night. Your nursing has gotten so much better and its one of my favorite times with you.
Likes: Roo Song, "Listen to the Leaves" song, dancing, playing with his toes, sucking on his bottom lip,  being held/carried, being naked, standing up, dancing
Dislikes: being hungry (boy likes his bottle!), being tired
Development: After last month's leap, this month was a little slower. You are able to sit by yourself and consistently roll back to belly and belly to back. You grab at EVERYTHING. You love to take off your socks and chew on them (yuck). You love to sit in front of the bouncing ball hippo. You slam the buttons on the exersaucer and move your hips to the music that plays. You are obsessed with the iphone and will scoot across the blanket to get it. You've also gotten really good at holding your bottle.
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet!

Extra:
Shy boy no more! You are loud and expressive. You are active! You scream when you don't get your way. You are funny and inquisitive. When you get sleepy you are the best cuddler and give sweet hugs. You like to wake up early in the morning. I've selfishly been bringing you into our bed for some morning cuddles while I pump. We are working on your eating skills. There aren't many foods you love. You recently tried banana yogurt and loved it. So glad we can get some healthy fat in you (especially since avocados were not your thing). You can hold your own bottle when laying on your back. You rub your eyes when you are sleepy and give big sighs. You love to reach for things and love pulling dog hair. When I hold you you love to "pet" me and play with the ends of my hair. I love you sweet boy!

So much to blog about!

We had a great jam packed busy weekend!

Holden did not like his oatmeal! 

Jay took a half day on Friday to hang out at home with the kids while my mom lunched with a friend. We enjoyed hanging out at home and my mom brought us chinese food for dinner. It was nice to come home to find Jay already home and playing with the babies!

Saturday morning we started Music Together class again. The babies (and mommy and daddy) LOVE music together and especially love our instructor Ms. Liz. The Saturday class is so fun because all the daddies come too and there are tons of people and babies and everyone gets really into the songs and the babies love it!

My middle school decided to schedule basketball games for Saturday so I dropped everyone off at home and headed to the games. I'm jealous my babies got to hang out with their Dad and watch NC State beat Duke! Highlight of our weekend!!!

I met up with my family and we headed to our good friend's daughter's princess 4th birthday party! My mom is so helpful and went out that morning to get us this adorable snow white outfit. I can't wait for princess stuff to fill our house! The party was so much fun. It was good to see the Sanders and fun to get a glimpse into our life in a few years.

We ended up over at my mom's house on Saturday night for dinner. A sweet friend had made a meal and my mom couldn't eat the entire thing by herself! We were so late getting over there that we put the kids to bed at my moms house and risked transferring them into their cribs when we got back home. Luckily my mom kept spare jammies and onesies. We decided just to lay them on the floor in my mom's bedroom to sleep (the bed/rolling off was a little daunting to me and the pack-n-plays were upstairs). The family room is right outside so we could hear them if needed. They whimpered a little but quickly went to sleep. We opened the door to get them before heading home and found that they had rolled and were sleeping against one another. SOOO freaking cute. Wish I had a picture! Luckily for us they stayed asleep getting into their car-seats and being put in their cribs.

Sunday morning we spent some time making babyfood and trying to feed the kids before church. Holden has decided he hates oatmeal while Emma Cate loves it! I mixed some prunes in with Holden's and he did okay. We've been going to a new church the past few Sundays and have really enjoyed it. I feel like I am cheating on our old church but this church has SOOO much more for kids. I think this issue might need its own post. Have any of you ever switches churches?

We went out for breakfast after church to this little family restaurant, Skyland. We are pretty used to getting stopped and asked about the babies often but during breakfast a sweet man in his 50s came up to our table and gave each baby a ten dollar bill. He said that the money comes with advice. He looked at Jay (who was sitting beside Holden. I was beside Emma Cate) and said that he needed to promise that each we he did something special with her. Had some Daddy-Daughter time. That he not make it all about his son. Jay promised to do so and we thanked the man profusely and the money went straight to the college funds. It was interesting that the night before, Jay and I were talking and he told me that he really wants to make sure he spends time with Emma Cate and does things with her. I love that he wants to be involved with our daughter just as much as he does with his son. He gave the example that he'll "be there to do anything with her. We'll except maybe things like getting her nails done, but... well... if she wants me to do that with her I'd be happy to." And seriously, my husband would have no problem taking Emma Cate to get her nails done.  He is such a good Daddy and we are very thankful.

After breakfast, the twins took a SUPER long nap and I was actually impatient waiting for them to wake up! The weather was 75 and beautiful. I declared that we wouldn't do any chores but head to the park instead! We stopped for froyo then walked the mile to the park, hung out on a blanket and walked home. It was such a nice way to spend Sunday!