Twin Updates

Some new fun things this week:

Emma Cate is a chatty cathy and I love it! She is so sweet to greet me when I get home with lots of babbling. Recently she has enjoyed sitting in her high chair next to me while I cook dinner! Can't wait for her to join me in the kitchen!

Holden has been his his same old smiley self! His new thing this week is sleeping on this side. I'm pretty sure he'll be rolling over soon! I love checking on him in his crib and seeing him curled up on his side.

As of this week, both babies are swaddle free! We had relied on the swaddle to get our babies to sleep and right around their 4 month appointment we started going swaddle free at nap time. We transitioned Holden over to sleeping overnight without a swaddle without any issues. We tried Emma Cate and she was a mess! We kept her in a swaddle for another week and then started to notice she was able to get her arm out and suck her thumb... if she can self sooth, she can definitely sleep without the swaddle. She's been swaddle free for three nights now and is doing amazing and sleeping through the night!

My mom has been sending me pictures while I'm at work. Here are a few of my cuties enjoying time with their Gigi!

bundled up for a walk this morning

Holden

Daddy dressed me in my elephant PJs on the wrong day! 

our thumb sucker in action

tummy time. I think Holden looks like such a little boy in his rugby shirt

finally holding her head up well!

This was taken the other day after our mommy-daughter day. Someone was pooped. She NEVER falls asleep like this!

Hey bubby!

Reading time at Gigis

I got this one this morning of Emma Cate and my Dad at the computer. If you know my Dad and his love of technology, this picture is perfect! I think we have one of us when I was Emma Cate's age at his computer! I'll have to look for it.

Our Week in Review

Now that I'm back at work, I can sneak in a few more blog posts. I'm working on some longer ones about the first few months with twins, breastfeeding, and necessary gear but for now, here's our life:

The biggest question I got asked this week was "How are you doing back at work?".
Honestly, I'm doing really well. No tears. In a way, having to leave my babies for 7 hours at a time to go to my mom's chemo sessions helped prepare me. I also only had a three day week last week and only have a three day week this week so that helps tremendously! It also helps that I have an amazing husband. We are very organized and get everything we need together the night before and line it all up to take downstairs to put in the car.

I've learned that I have to take a shower the night before if I want things to run smoothly. I wake up at 5:45 and pump for 20-25 minutes while Jay snoozes. He gets up, showers, takes the dogs out, puts the diapers in the dryer, wakes up the kids, changes their diapers and puts them in carseats. I quickly get myself ready and join him in time to carry the kids downstairs (big help... I know). I drop the kids off at my mom's, get their bottles, warmed up, kiss 'em goodbye and head off to work.

Lucky for me, as a teacher, my day is jammed packed and I don't have a ton of down time. My kids are always on my mind but I know they are in such good hands! I often find myself looking at the clock though and thinking about what they're doing. I try to get home as soon as possible to see them at the end of the day and am able to see them by 3pm most days.

The following pics are all from my phone so I apologize for the quality!

Monday- Dropped the kids off at Gigi's for the first time

They were sad to see me leave....

Tuesday- Caught my little thumb sucker, Emma Cate

Wednesday- My Halloween babies! My Grandpa's girlfriend sent these cute Halloween outfits for the twins.

Trick or treating as a family of lobsters and chefs.We had a pot to carry them in but the night was chilly and the babies sleepy

Thursday- I took the pictures because I am amazed at how long and lean my little guy is!

Friday- I was off work Friday morning and we enjoyed hanging out in bed and cuddling

Watching TV and holding hands

Saturday- I spent most of the day coaching my girls! All three teams I coach took first place in their divisions! Whooo hooo! Wish the Wolfpack would have had as great of day :(

6th grade

7th & 8th

On Saturday night, we went to my parent's old neighbor's house to celebrate Mrs. Campbell's birthday. This is a picture of her son Matt holding Holden while we sat around making smores. 

Sunday- I had an end of the season party for my 7th grade cheerleading squad and decided to take Emma Cate with me at the last moment. I'm a little nutty in that I like the twins to dress alike all the time. Emma Cate has a few cute outfits that don't match Holden's so I took the opportunity to dress her up in her sassy cheetah outfit for a day with the girls!

4 Months

Emma Cate and Holden,
You are four months old!

This was NOT the easiest month to photograph. In fact, you were a week shy of 5 months in these pictures. With daylight savings time and starting to work, I never got home in enough time to take your pictures without using the flash. You were both pretty fussy during these pictures because I had JUST woken you up to take them! Here's to better luck at 5 months!

What our life is like:
I wake up at 6:40 and pump. I'm pumping around 20 ounces each morning. We wake you up around 7:00am for a diaper change and morning feeding. You sit in your high chairs and drink your bottles. Holden normally drinks 6-7oz for breakfast and Emma Cate is happy with 5oz. Holden's reflux has gotten much better and while he still spits up after a bottle, it isn't as much as it used to be. After breakfast we play until 8:30. We do lots of tummy time. Holden is awesome at holding his entire body up and Dr. Patt thinks you'll be an early crawler. Emma Cate does not like tummy time and we have to do 2-3 minute increments to keep her happy. She can hold her head up but isn't doing "baby pushups" yet. Since you've been sleeping through the night consistently since you were three months old, we have switched your schedule. You go down for morning nap at 8:30 in your cribs. We are working on stopping the swaddle. So far I've been putting you in a sleepsak for morning naps and it has gotten easier and easier each day. We are waiting until this weekend to do an overnight without the swaddle. It makes mommy and daddy VERY nervous. We've come to enjoy sleeping through the night!

You wake up from nap between 9:45-10:15. We hangout until 10:30 and then you eat again. From 10:45-11:15 you both hangout in your high chair and I put toys on the tray and just recently you've taken an interest in touching the toys. You like to grab at the rings and taggie toys. We play until 12 and then you go down for a mid-day nap. During playtime we do tummy time and back time. You are both getting good at grabbing toys that dangle from your playmat. You recently started noticing each other and its so sweet to see you both stare at each other. You also still grab at each other when laying down playing. I normally your next bottle around 11am.

A week or so ago, Holden was having a little redness on his tummy from his diaper so I let you play naked on your "sheet saver" (best invention ever!!!) in the family room. Emma Cate "dirtied" the sheet twice and I had to move her closer to Holden. I went to grab something on the changing table and turned around to hear screaming. Holden had decided he had to "go" and I saw a curved stream hitting Emma Cate right in the stomach. She was screaming and Holden was just a laughing and smiling. I foresaw my future with boy/girl twins!

At 12pm you go down for a nap and are "supposed" to sleep until 2pm. We aren't having much luck getting you to sleep in cribs so I put you in the swings and turn them off once you are asleep. When you wake up we hangout and cuddle until 2pm when it is time to eat again. After "lunch" we play until 3 or 3:30 then its back down to nap until 5. This nap normally takes place swaddled in your swings. As the day goes on, you both get fussier and its harder to get you back to bed. At 5:30 Daddy normally feeds you supper while I'm at practice and plays with you until 6. You take a little catnap until 7pm and then are SOOO fussy until dinner at 8:30. We play music and cuddle to get you both to be calm. I'd like to play from 7-8:30 but you both just scream! I like to nurse you at the 8:30 feeding while Daddy gives one of you a bath. You are both in bed by 9 and we say our prayers as you both fall fast asleep :) You are great sleepers and usually go down without much fuss.

You have started giggling this month and we LOVE it! We sing "Ram Sam Sam" and tick your tummies on the gouli gouli gouli part and you both just laugh and smile! You both still love music together class and have the best time. Emma Cate started making the ah noise and is the more chatty of the two. We have little conversations now and are learning the beginnings of language development. I will take and pause in between statements and Emma Cate will "respond". Holden does this occasionally, but more often fills responds with a huge smile rather than sounds. You both hold your heads up really well and are "hip" babies, meaning we can carry you on our hips and you're good at sitting upright. We sit you on the couch and prop you with pillows. You are both great standers and Holden is the funniest when he is standing and music is playing. He likes to move his hips. Too cute!

We had a rough month. Your great grandfather passed away this month and it was so sad for everyone. He was 98 years old and such a wonderful example of a truly Christian man. He LOVED you babies soooo much and I was so glad he got to spend time with you the day before he passed away. You hung out with him at his room at the hospice house and cuddled, played, and took lots of pictures and even a little video. I always felt like he had a little something special with Emma Cate. You and Papaw loved to nap together and you seemed very calm and happy in his arms.

You were both baptised this month on the 21st (I guess that should technically go in the 5 month post but oh well!) It was a beautiful day and will get it's own post once I return to work. We are so excited to acknowledge God's grace and to affirm that we will raise you in a Christian home and teach you the best we can about God and Jesus.

Emma Cate:
Nicknames:  P (daddy's nickname for you), Emma Tate, Taters, Cate
Weight: around 10lbs 12oz 1%
Height: 22.5 inches 1%
Hair: It's almost all gone and you are looking more like Gigi than PopPop without your little horseshoe. Not a lot has grown in and it looks like you'll be a cute little bald baby for quite awhile.
Eyes: Blueish grey
Clothes: You are in 0-3 month, newborns don't fit at all. I tried on your newborn hats and they don't fit anymore either! I've tried a few 3-6 month things and they aren't too huge.
Diapers: Using the Bumgenius 4.0 and Freedom. We LOVE the freedoms. You are still on the smallest size setting.
Eating: 5 ounces 4-5 (depends if we nurse before bed or not) times a day, one nursing session at night before bed.
Likes: watching tv, playing after breakfast (this is her happy happy time), laying next to/cuddling with Holden, her soft pink blanket, the ball with holes in it, grabbing at toys, the tambourine, singing ram sam sam, the beehive song, being sung to, diaper changes, nuk pacis
Dislikes: falling asleep on her own (but she's getting better), tummy time
Development: started laughing this month and having "conversations"
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet!


Extra: Compared to last month's post, your cries have gotten much less. You are more of a whimper unless you REALLY really need something. I love that I am now able to interpret your cries. You are still so smily in the morning. You pay attention very well at story time and music class. You notice mommy and I have to sneak away from the crib when trying to get you to sleep. You are a very pretty little girl and everyone comments on how much you look like a girl.  I love how you look in hairbows! I think you love it too! You've plumped up a little this month and we often tease you and call you "double butt" because your little upper thighs have rolls that make you look like you have two butts from the back. You little hands have become pudgy and you have adorable little dimples where your knuckles are. 
Holden
Nicknames: Holdy, Holds, Handsome Holden, Golden Holden, Franklin, Fwankwin, Fwank
Extra:



Weight: around 11 pounds 4oz
Height: 24"
Hair: blond. Slowly its growing longer. Very slowly.
Eyes: Blue
Clothes: 0-3 month, 3 month and some 6 month. You are long and lean so a lot of your clothes are either too  wide or too short.
Diapers: Bumgenius 4.0 and freetime. They are set one snap bigger than the smallest size.
Eating: 7oz bottle for breakfast, 3 5oz bottles throughout the day and a quick but efficient 10 minute nursing session at night.
Likes: smiling, quivering his lip when crying, screeching, tummy time, being held, sitting up, looking around, 
Dislikes: being hungry (boy likes his bottle!)
Development: You do very well at tummy time and have rolled over a time or two. You like to do little baby push ups too. You've started to play with the links that I leave out on your tray after bottles and you'll also bat at the elephant that hangs from the carseat. When you nurse you like to rub you hand back and forth across my chest. Too sweet.
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet!

Holden, you are really showing us your relaxed personality. You love sitting in your swing with a blanket draped over you and watching everyone. You make the most adorable faces. Sooo cute. You have eyes that are always inquisitive. You still like to stand up and dance and although you're daddy is not a fan of me when I do this, you LOVE when I move your arms all around (like cheerleading motions). You giggle and smile! Your tummy is getting better and better and you are an awesome eater and nurser. You usually only spit up once or twice, instead of your entire bottle. Hopefully you'll put on more weight now that you are keeping more down.