Babies and Their Swag

I am (again!) much belated in writing the five month post, which hopefully I will finish soon, although there might be a five month/six month 'twofer'.   In the meantime, I forgot that I had written about some of our favorite items for surviving live with a newborn, or two newborns.  It's by no means a complete list, but it's the items I believe helped us manage life during those very, very crazy hazy days.  We were so fortunate to be blessed by family and friends with many wonderful gifts for the babies.  I also wanted to document this, because both sets of grandparents are always saying to us "we never had ANY of this stuff!" so it will be interesting some day to look back on what we used vs. the teleporting machines our grandchildren will mostly likely be using. :)

Newborn – Three Month Favorites

Swing – I spent a lot of time thinking about what items we should get two of… and where we could get by with just one.  I (naively) thought that one swing would be just fine.  Wrong!  I am fairly certain we wouldn’t have survived the first six weeks without dual swing action.  There were several weeks where both babies, Jack in particular, slept best in a swing; they both still nap in them occasionally.  There are a lot of options out there; here are the ones we used.

• Fisher Price Snugabunny – My friend Ashley was kind enough to let us borrow this…1) it’s adorable, 2) the shape of the swing itself seemed to soothe both babies and 3) it’s adorable. J  The only downside was that it was battery-operated.

• Fisher Price Rainforest – This was the swing that Nick ordered off of Amazon when we (quickly) realized one swing would not cut it.  It plugged into the wall, which was nice, although I still preferred the shape of the Snugabunny.

Aden and Anais muslin swaddle blankets - I have to admit, when I saw the pricetag for these, my first reaction was "are they made of gold? will they be wiping my child's butt?" because dang, they are pricey for blankets.  However, they are The Perfect Weight for swaddling and we use them still today.  You can layer them for extra warmth or use just one.  I always felt like both of our babies ran hot and so even in the winter, we frequently used just one muslin blanket.  Neither Jack or Ellie has 'loveys' but they love their blankets and it's become a soothing mechanism.  We swaddled Jack until he started rolling over at around 4.5 months;  we only recently stopped swaddling Ellie.  It definitely helped them sleep longer during naps and at night.

Joovy Twin Roo - this only applies to expecting twin mamas, but this was one of my favorite items.  We had planned to use a double snap and go stroller for the first six-nine months (basically, you just 'snap' the infant car seat in the stroller and I guess 'go'?)...the original one we looked at had promised it was compatible with our car seats but that was a huge lie.  There were no other snap and gos on the market at the time the babies were born, so I found myself frantically searching the Internet.  I kept finding Internet threads where women were talking about the elusive Joovy Twin Roo, which was a new double snap and go stroller that people seemed excited about, but its release date had been pushed back multiple times.  I ended up calling the manufacturer to find out the target date and as it happened, it was mid-January.  So, I decided we could survive without a stroller for the first month and we did!  Luckily, our babies were tiny (at the time) and not too difficult to carry around on our rare outings out (basically to the doctor).  This stroller is awesome because it is easy to use, incredibly easy to manuever and I love that I can see both babies faces while using it.  It is very inexpensive, but the quality of its construction was impressive.  I have been happy with all of the Joovy products we've used (we just ordered Joovy highchairs!).

Wubanub pacifier –  I know not everyone wants to use pacifiers since they have been branded Evil for breastfeeding mamas, but 90% of the moms I know used pacifiers and had no problems with breastfeeding, so I'm chalking up pacifier hate to "Lies 'They' Tell Parents To Scare Them."  Pacifiers are like socks – constantly getting lost.  Somewhere in our house, Ernie the Multi-Toed Wonder Cat has squirreled away many a pacifier.  The Wubanubs have small stuffed animals attached to the pacifier which is completely genius because they are nearly impossible to lose.  I’m not sure what age these are intended to be used for, but we started using them early on because I was tired of hunting down lost pacifiers.   Incidentally, I was doing a lot of research on weaning our babies off of the pacis (planned to do it around one year old based on a conversation with our pediatrician) when the babies pretty much just weaned themselves off at around 4.5 months.   They use them occasionally now, but it's pretty infrequent.  File THAT under "Things I Worried Needlessly About AKA Welcome To The Rest Of Your Life".

Diaper Genie – People either love or hate the Diaper Genie.  A lot of people told me we wouldn’t need it, but they are liars.  Just kidding – I think the reason it worked so well for us was 1) the number of diapers twin produce and 2) the way our house is laid out.  If we had to take a poopy diaper out to the garage trash every time, we probably would have lost our minds.  Because we spend so much time in our family room, we actually have the Diaper Genie in there.   It keeps the smells at bay…mostly.

Pack and Play with Changing Station - Again, I think some of this is dependent on how your house is laid out, but because we basically lived in our family room for six weeks, it was helpful to have a pack and play in that room for babies snoozes and diaper changes.  We still use it for napping and diaper changes, or just as a 'baby jail' while we are trying to get out the door.

Nose Frida AKA The Snotsucker - The concept of this (Swedish, I think?) contraption is pretty gross...basically, you are using a siphon and your own lung power to literally suck the snot out of your little one's nose.  However, there is a filter that protects your mouth from the grossness and frankly, when your baby can't breathe, you'll do anything to help them feel better.  This worked so much better than the suction bulbs the hospital sends you home with.

Kick ‘N Play Piano - Somewhere around 6-8 weeks, I realized that we needed something to entertain one baby with while we attended to the other.  Enter the Kick 'N Play Piano.  At first the babies would just barely bat at the toys, but as their motor skills and coordination grew, they loved kicking their feet to 'play' the piano and grabbing the toys.  I like this because it converts to a toy that they can play with as they get older because the piano is removable.  In general, I am a big fan of toys that 'grow' with the baby.

Children’s Place zippered sleepers - Approximately 1800 people recommended these to me and they were all right.  They are the perfect weight for pretty much any time of year, easy to get on, can stand up to multiple washings and they look cute.  We had very few newborn 'outfits' and pretty much just rotated sleepers for the first two-three months.

Tummy Calm - Jack had a lot of gastrointestinal (read: gas) issues his first few months and I swear we tried all manner of remedies.  The only thing that ever worked consistently was Tummy Calm, a homeopathic remedy.  It's pricey (about $20/bottle) but gas drops, griper water, etc never worked for us.

Chicco KeyFit infant car seats - Although these were not the lightest car seats we looked at (an important consideration when carrying two!), they were definitely the easiest to install and to get in and out of the car.  They are also approved for babies 5lbs and up, which was important to us since we knew Jack and Ellie might be on the smaller side.  Their safety ratings are high and they've help up nicely over the first six months.

Okay, that's it!  It probably goes without saying that in reality, we could have survived without some of these...it's just that they helped so much, I think it's worth sharing what worked for us.  In reality, babies need very little...these products are (mainly) to make the parents' life easier.  Which is worth a lot, in my opinion. :)

[caption id="attachment_905" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Chicco KeyFit[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_906" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Chicco KeyFit[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_907" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Swaddle love[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_908" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Kick and Play Piano[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_912" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Children's Place sleepers[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_911" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Swaddle blankets and pack and play[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_910" align="aligncenter" width="300"] More boppy nap[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_909" align="aligncenter" width="300"] More wubanub love[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_913" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Still loving our boppy![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_917" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Jack taking a swing nap[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_919" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Doub(le) Wub[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_921" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Wubanub (pretty much got us through Jack's PICU stay)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_922" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Boppy sharing - not a good idea[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_923" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Snugabunny swing nap[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_924" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Children's Place sleepers[/caption]

Day in the Life of Jack and Ellie Rose - May 6, 2013

I thought it might be nice to capture a 'typical' day in the life of Jack and Ellie...for posterity.  And also to show them someday just how hard it is to take care of twins, so they best be buying us darn good Mother's and Father's Day gifts! :)  Apologies in advance for the phone pics...even as phone pics go, they aren't that great.  It's hard to capture a day in the life and you know, actually live life.  :)

Monday, May 6, 2013

3:00 am - Jack is crying.  I stumble out of bed and pick him up.  (Nick does the last feeding of the night and I take care of overnights).  They are still sleeping in our room in a co-sleeper (basically just a crib that attaches to the bed - it's getting a little, uh, snug in there, though so we are probably days from moving them to their nursery.  :::stifles sobs:::) so I see him wallop Ellie in the face but she is unfazed.  We go to the nursery across the hall and I locate the source of Jack's angst - dirty diaper.  I change it as quickly as I can (with some pauses for kisses to the cheeks and nose) and just have him zipped back into his sleep blanket, when I see him make "the" face.  The pooping face.  Sigh....  I wait for him to finish and repeat the whole process (including the kisses).  The kisses come back to bite me, though, as he is now wide awake and it's clear I can't just put him back down to go to sleep.  Curses.

3:15 am - Put Jack in his crib (this mollifies him temporarily since he's unused to the scenery) and wander downstairs to the kitchen, hoping that maybe I'm wrong and maybe he'll fall asleep.   Make a quick sweep of the family room and pick up errant baby gear and clothes.  Hear Jack crying again, so I take him to our room and he has a 'snack' and falls asleep within a few minutes.  Put him back in co-sleeper.  Have to re-arrange his sister who is fond of sleeping like her father AKA Starfish-Style.

3:25am - Hmph.  I'm awake now.   Pick up my phone and check Facebook.  Read a few blogs.  Pick up my Nook and read a bit.

3:45am - Decide to go back to sleep.

4:30am - Alarm goes off on my phone.  Remember that I am taking the kids to the sitter (usually Nick's job since I start work at 7am) so I can sleep in a bit.  Re-set alarm for 5am.

5:00am - Alarm.  Again.  Rub my eyes and contemplate sleeping some more, but I know I can't.  Go to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee in the Keurig (which I have pre-loaded the night before)...drink my coffee and try to wake up.  Read Better Homes and Gardens.  See lots of home projects/recipes/crafts I would like to attempt but know I don't have the time.

5:15am - Take a shower - the babies usually wake up some time between 5:30 and 6:00 am so I need to get my shower in now.

5:30 am - Check on the babies in the co-sleeper.  No signs of movement.  I'm safe to continue getting ready.

5:35 am - Comb hair out, EYE CREAM!, make-up, etc.

5:50 am - Hear Nick's alarm go off and see him head downstairs for breakfast.

5:55am - Normally I would go blend up my breakfast shake (kale, spinach, berries, banana, yogurt, chia, stevia and oatmeal) but I forgot to pre-make it last night and I don't think I'll have time to put it together.  Instead, go and pick out my outfit, which I also usually have pre-picked out, but I was feeling sick last night, so another casualty.

6:05am - Turn on lights in bedroom and go to co-sleeper.  Jack had been awoken by the lights and Ellie is in the process of doing so.

6:10am - Change Ellie and get her dressed.  Jack snuggles with Nick.  She's apparently not a fan of her outfit (I can practically hear her saying God, Mom - chervron?  So not flattering and also SO 2011!) and is hungry.  Hand her over to Nick to start feeding her while I change Jack.

6:15am - Change Jack's diaper which is, sadly, another scary one.  He's teething like mad and has the accompanying diarrhea.  (He will probably love that I've documented this for posterity).  Start to get him dressed but he's too wiggly.

6:20am - Take Ellie back from Nick so he can get in the shower.   Feed both babies.

6:35am - Babies are done eating - dress Jack and stick him in a boppy next to his sister.  Boppy-sitting days are numbered as Jack is becoming increasingly squirmy, but since I'm just getting dressed and can keep an eye out, I feel okay about it.  Mom of the year!

6:45am - Put on my jewelry and grab Jack to take him downstairs.  Put him in his carseat.  Hear Ellie upstairs making noise.

6:50am - Repeat with Ellie.  She throws her wubanub pacifier (basically just a pacifier with a stuffed animal attached) on the ground.  Pause to ask myself whether or not I should clean it off.  Decide no - a few extra germs/dirt will only build up her immunity.  Grab a couple of pieces of fruit and string cheese for breakfast, my purse, and my bag.  Decide to chance it without a jacket.

6:55am - Load car up and head to the sitter.

[caption id="attachment_883" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Time to wake up![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_884" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Some of us wake up happy![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_885" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Others do not.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_886" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Getting there.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_887" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Welp, I just died from cuteness.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_888" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Still trying to wake up.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_889" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Harumph.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_890" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wiggle Worm.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_891" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I just...can't even...with you right now.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_899" align="aligncenter" width="300"] What shall we do now, Mom?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_892" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wash and wear hair.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_893" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The first of many times I will look in the backseat to make sure both babies are there.[/caption]

7:05am - Drop off at the sitter - chat for a few minutes.  Jack gets excited to see her and practically propels himself out of the carseat.  I'm glad he likes the sitter, but GEEZ, does he have to like her so much? :)

7:10am - In the car on the way to work.

7:20am - GET PULLED OVER, $#%*!!!  (As soon as I see the lights flashing, I know it's for me and I know why.  No, I wasn't speeding - just hadn't put my tags on yet.  That I got in December.  I was a little busy in December IF YOU'LL RECALL, OOPS.)    See the officer glance back into the backseat of the car and try to look (more) sad, tired and pathetic-like.  Works.  I am able to produce the tags from my purse and the officer lets me off the hook.  I apologize for wasting his time and tell him to 'keep up the good work'.  Officer side eyes me.  Quickly make my getaway.

7:35 am - Caught in traffic.  There is NO route to work for me that does not involve construction.

7:45 am - Finally arrive at work.

Work until 4 pm - which looks something like this - email, email, project, someone needs my help, someone needs my help, email, phone call, break to look at picture of babies (awww!), email, project, LUNCH, impromptu meeting, someone needs my help, project, phone call, email, stop random people walking by my office to look at pictures of babies (awww!!!), meeting, email, email, email.  Oh, and the assistant for my department is leaving next week (sniff, sniff) so also - orientation for new assistant.  Break to read a few articles, one of which is a research article that says that the children of parents who don't routinely clean their pacifiers actually have less incidence of eczema, allergies, etc.  I AM MOM OF THE YEAR!!!  :::pat self on back for my forward-thinkingness:::

3:45pm - Start to get antsy about leaving to pick up Jack and Ellie.  I saw an interview recently with Drew Barrymore where she compared getting home to see her baby girl to being in a new relationship - "does she like me?" "is she going to call?", etc.  Totally get that.  As much as I love my job, it's almost a physical relief to have the babies back with us in the evening.

4:00pm - Off to pick up the babies!  But first...traffic.  Rawr.  I also listen to a lot of talk radio in the car these days because I am old and that is what old people do.

4:30 pm - At the sitter...both babies are smiley...obviously because they are delighted to see me.  Chat for a few minutes and then load the babies back up into the car.  Make inane conversation with them while we drive home.  "Oh, look - it's a cow!  Do you see the cow? The cow goes moooooooo! "  Feel ridiculous.  Carry on anyway.

4:45pm - Arrive home, bring the babies in and situate them in their bumbo chairs while I put my stuff away and change clothes.

5:00pm - Daddy's home!

5:05 pm - Crankiness is setting in.  I put Ellie in her exersaucer and hang out with Jack.

5:15pm - Nothing is making Jack happy.  I show Nick some new pajamas that came in the mail for Jack and Ellie (they busted out of their 3-6 month stuff OVERNIGHT).  Nick insists we put their new PJs on them now.  Ok!  Change Jack's diaper and into the new PJs.  This has not helped his mood.

5:20pm - Ellie gets her diaper changed and also PJs put on...put her down on a blanket to play, but she starts doing this thing where she whips her head back and forth, which is her 'tell' for a nap.  I put her in the swing and let her go down for a catnap.

5:30pm - Return my attention to Jack who is still unhappy.  Daddy and I try and cheer him up through various manuevers...he cracks a smile.  Victory!  Fist pump!

5:40pm - He's cranky again.

5:45pm - Still cranky.

5:50pm - Cranky.

5:55pm - I feed him, which is a brief respite from the crankiness.  Ellie continues to doze.

6:10pm - Finished eating...now entertain me, please, woman!  Fail miserably.  Can tell he's tired and needs to take a short nap, but repeated attempts to put him down are thwarted.

6:15pm - 6:30 pm - He's in the pack and play, not napping, but he also sounds content.

6:30pm - Ellie is up and demanding to be fed, so I acquiesce to her demands.  She downs her bottle in about five minutes flat.  Impressive.

6:35pm  -  Jack is mad again.  Nick saves the day by taking him down to the basement to watch the turtles swim.  This seems to appease the child for awhile.  Ellie and I join the boys...she is loving life and excited about all the activity in the basement.  Lots of squealing/cooing/general merriment from her.

6:45pm - Decide to put Jack in the swing...he fusses and cries and generally makes his feelings known but EVENTUALLY he falls asleep.  Ellie and I play in the exersaucer, read a book and play peek-a-boo.

7:00pm - Nick comes and takes over while I go get ready for the next day.   He offers to go set up the monitor so we can start using the nursery, but I'm too tired to contemplate it.  Tell him we will do it later this week.  I wash all the bottles, prep my coffee, prep my shake, pick out the twins clothes for the next day and iron my outfit.  Also start a load of laundry.  We are constantly doing laundry.  It's amazing how much two little people can produce in the way of laundry.

7:45 pm - Catch up a bit with Nick and then wander upstairs.  Nick is hanging out with the babies on the couch - Ellie in her bumbo and Jack on Daddy's lap.  Still not feeling that great (getting over a stomach bug, so I'm going to try and fall asleep early).  Work on this post.  Count my blessings that Nick is my partner - these early months with twins are TOUGH but we are doing it!  Fist pump!

8:00pm - Turn on an episode of the Real Housewives of Orange County; I find that my choices for TV-watching are limited pretty much to bad reality TV and The Voice.  Anything dramatic, violent, scary, etc...I can't handle.  Probably would have been better if I figured this out before I attempted to watch Zero Dark Thirty with Nick a few weeks ago.

8:30pm - Can't keep eyes open...turn TV off and fall asleep.   I find that I cannot keep up with Jack and Ellie unless I am getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep.  Less than that and things get Ugly.

9:50pm - Nick brings Ellie to me...most nights she gets uber-cranky right before bed (over-tired, I think...I'm hoping we can drop this last bottle soon and start putting her to bed earlier) and the only way to get her to calm down enough for bed is some Mommy snuggles.  Okay, twist my arm.  She is WIDE awake and starts to fuss, but I sleepily jiggle her in my arms next to me and she calms down and lays quietly awake next to me.

10:30pm - Nick brings Jack up to the co-sleeper; he's awake, but usually can fall asleep on his own.  He fusses just a bit and then falls asleep.  Nick mistakenly thinks that Ellie is asleep and picks her up from my arms to put her in the co-sleeper.  Wrong Move, Hot Shot!  Ellie lets her displeasure at this newest arrangement be known.  I pick her back up and bring her to bed with us.

1:00am - Realize that Ellie is no longer next to me.  Nick must have moved her.  Thank him silently and pat his back.  Fall asleep.

2:30am - Hear Jack making noises...pray that he falls back asleep because I am so tired.  Noises stop....yesssssss!   Back to sleep.  Will start the whole thing over again in a few hours.

[caption id="attachment_896" align="aligncenter" width="300"] New PJs![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_895" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Let's hold hands.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_894" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Home again![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_878" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Welp. That's happening. Guess we'll invest in braces.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_882" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Yup. I'm cute.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_881" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I'll just sit here and be cute, k?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_880" align="aligncenter" width="218"] This girl is literally squealing in delight.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_879" align="aligncenter" width="218"] Sad, sad, oh wait - he's smiling! Quick - take a picture![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_877" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daddy Duty.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_876" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Oh hi.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_875" align="aligncenter" width="300"] So. Much. Awesome.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_874" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Turtle watching is the new whale watching.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_871" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Jack is sad[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_872" align="aligncenter" width="300"] So very sad[/caption]

Month Four!

Hi, babies...I know, I'm a week, two weeks, well just generally late on your monthly update.  Get used to it.  Y'all are cute and fun, but you are also a Handful (capitalization intentional).

[caption id="attachment_811" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Monthly Photo AKA Jack loves Ellie![/caption]

Month Four has been pretty freaking awesome.  Every day you both get more and more personality and already we are noticing the unique qualities that make you, well - YOU.  If I had a dollar for every time your dad and I marveled that you all are OURS and nobody is going to come take you away from us, well - I would have a lot of dollars.   I mean, don't get me wrong - you are absolutely exhausting and frustrating, too.  I see people out and about with just one baby and for a fleeting moment, I feel wistful for what it must be like to only have to care for one baby.  But then I realize - ONLY is the key word.  They ONLY get one baby.  And we get two!  And not just any two - but the most adorable, sweet and probably most brilliant babies that ever were.  Moms are allowed to say that kind of stuff.

It's been a fun month - we're taking you out to more and more places and enjoying time with family and friends.  This month you celebrated Easter with your G-ma and G-pa Courtney, Great-Grandma Cardinal, Uncle Alex and (soon-to-be) Aunt Corrie and Great-Aunt Maggie and Great-Uncle Mike.  That's a lot of greats! Obviously we had to dress you up.  Ellie - you had an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction on the precious dress your G-ma got you, but we managed to wrangle you into it long enough for pictures.

[caption id="attachment_813" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our little funny bunnies! You both look incredibly enthusiastic.[/caption]

You've also been rock stars with the new schedule when I went back to work.  I fully expected my return to work to be utter mayhem, but surprisingly - it has not been.  You two seem pretty laid-back about the whole thing and frankly, I would appreciate it if you would look at least a little sad when we dropped you off.  At least pretend to miss us!

Babies, I have to tell you a secret.  Going back to work was not as hard as I thought it was going to be.  Many friends told me that I would be sobbing in a corner in my office by 9am and that just wasn't the case.  I mean, I miss you guys, but I also LOVE my job and where I work.  I'm finding that I am enjoying my time with you a whole lot more at nights and on the weekends because I actually have a chance to miss you.  I suspect the same is true of you as you both adore your sitter.  Plus, it doesn't hurt that I have a relatively flexible schedule (Friday afternoons off!  I can't wait to take you to the pool this summer!).  At first, I felt guilty that I didn't hate going back to work because Good Moms (again, capitalization intentional) miss their babies when they go back to work.   But slowly I've found more and more moms that have admitted the same thing.   And you know what?  I think it's great!  Happy mom (and dad!) = happy baby(ies).

The other exciting thing that happened this month was that your dad started a new job!  Yep, we are pretty proud of him - it's an amazing position with a great company and very well-deserved.   Your dad is kind of a rock star there.  Suffice to say, it's been a little crazy around here with all the changes, but I think we're all rolling with the punches pretty darn well.  Except for the cats.  They seem increasingly upset by your presence and incredibly needy.  Ernie frequently tries to sneak in the middle of mommy-baby snuggles and sometimes we let him.  Right now they have the upper hand over you due mainly to their mobility, but once you can move, well - I think both cats will go into hiding.

I have to tell you, guys, some kinda yucky stuff has happened in the US these last few weeks.  It's probably part of the reason it took me so long to write this.  It just occurred to your mom recently that the world is a Very Scary Place and your dad and I can't protect you from everything.  I also just realized recently that a really bad thing happened on the day you were born.  I knew this really bad thing had happened, but somehow I didn't realize it happened on the day of your birth - what was one of the best days of your dad and I's lives.   How is that possible?  All of the sudden, I see danger everywhere we go.  I considered never letting you leave the house, but that seems impractical.  And besides, then how would anyone ever see all the cute clothes your grandma buys you?!  So, I guess I'll cancel the order for the ginormous bubble I purchased to put you in and instead hope that we can honor the moms and dads that have lost their little ones by enjoying our time with you that much more and giving you a few extra hugs and kisses.

Up first this month is Ellie, because she wins the prize for most weight gain (and coincidentally, most delicious baby legs - I'm sure these two items aren't related)...at your four-month appointment, you were 16 lbs 10 ounces!  I can't remember how long you were because I was so blown away by your weight gain.  Considering what a little peanut you were at birth, this is great news!  You are in the 98th percentile for weight and I think your length was pretty average.  Although your head size was above average, so obviously you have an extra super big head for those awesome brains.

Likes: Sitting up (with help from a bumbo or a willing friend), snuggling with Mommy before bed, Daddy getting you dressed in the morning, bathtime splashing, working on your musical masterpiece via the kick and play piano, and increasingly..."talking" and smiling!  Your smile is so funny - you smile with your whole body - from your toes to your nose to your eyebrows.  The word that comes to mind is "gleeful".  You also love to nap in your swing and the car and you are still taking a long nap in the afternoon (sometimes as much as 3.5 hours!) and this month you edged closer to sleeping through the night.

Dislikes: Basically, the opposite of all your likes - laying down, being put straight to bed at night, being reigned in from splashing, etc. However, your personality keeps showing through more and more.  I suspect you have a wild streak of independence...don't know who you get that from!

Nicknames:  Ellie Belly, Little Girl, Little Bits, Pretty Lady, Future President of the United States AKA F-POTUS (that one's kind of a mouthful and it hasn't caught on like I had hoped)

Jack - you continue to be our charmer.  You never met a face you didn't like and you'll smile through even the worst cold or teething pain.  You are also beginning to show a flair for the dramatic, as your ability to thrust your abdomen up in anger or disgust is getting thrown around a lot more. You were 16 pounds, 1 ounce at your four-month appointment and had grown a lot in length from your two month appointment.

Likes: Um, just about everything.  But, in particular - you love faces, eating and getting your diaper changed in the middle of the night.

Dislikes: Pain, poopy diapers, teething.  You are still waking up in the middle of the night, but rarely to eat - usually it's just a diaper change, not feeling well or you just want someone to talk to.  At first it was bothering me that you weren't getting closer to sleeping through the night like your sister.  But then I realize how much I cherish our little late night "talks" and how much I will miss them.  Now, each night that it happens, I think to myself "this could be the last time" which makes me grateful for the time with you and also a little weepy.  I'm a mom.  That's what we do.  Weep.

Nicknames: Jack Stack, Buddy, Jack Jack

Pictures from this month!

[caption id="attachment_827" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Showing Grandma your cool hat.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_828" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Charming Great-Grandma Jeanette[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_826" align="aligncenter" width="225"] This picture proves how hard it is to get a photo of both of you being cute simultaneously.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_831" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daddy went crazy with the Mizzou gear while Mom was out. Can't blame him![/caption]