5 months

Already.
The babies are well over 1/3 of a year old.
OMG.
They're 21 weeks old. That's older outside babies than they were gestationally when we came clean about them being girls (since we knew from 13w).
Crazy talk.

They're really freaking cute these days. Lots of coos and giggles. They're within the developmental norms for actual age (being 5 weeks early, its expected they'd catch up by 5 mo), especially Avery. Quinn is a couple of weeks behind her, but (my non-medical opinion is she is) on track for somewhere between her physical age at birth (being IUGR and the size of a 30/31 weeker) and adjusted age.  At this point we have no reason to be concerned about her, but it is noticeable if you're around them a lot that she's not quite as physically advanced as Avery. Or maybe she's just destined to be more cuddly and less physical? Time will tell I guess.

oohhh hi. I guess I can not cry for the camera for a second.

I want to roll over soooo badly...

we wish you a merry christmas

and happy holidays and all that jazz.

next year, buy outfits before Christmas Eve if you want them to match or coordinate beyond "both have snowmen on them" (They were an awesome deal for Gymboree though)

personality

gah, I almost want to use the word adorbs. Except it isn't a word.

4 months!

It's incredible that the babies are 4 months old now! (Actually, 4 months, 1 week, and 2 days)

Yesterday they had their 4 month check up and were perfect by all counts. The doctor is happy with their physical development, even for Quinn who is still somewhat squishier than Avery. Quinn is definitely a few weeks behind Avery physically, but she's just fine for her adjusted age and is a bit ahead of her IUGR-weight age (that's totally not an official term, but someone told me IUGR babies develop somewhere between their 'size age' and their gestational age, and she was 31/32w 'size' at birth). Even though they'd both fall asleep prior to their shots - it was 7 pm and bedtime - they did quite well and only fussed for a few minutes.

I was worried we'd get yelled at for their being so thin still, but all is well and they're perfectly on the curves they've established! Since last month, Avery has gained 1 lb 9 oz and Quinn has gained a pound. Its crazy to think Quinn at 4 months is less than half a pound larger than my brother was at birth!

They've only gained a 1/4 in and a 1/2 in, so I guess they've spent this month porking up. Avery's thighs look all chubby now :) And they have giant heads for their skinny little bodies, given that 39 cm is over 25th percentile. I think even I can give up adjusted age on stats now and just go with actual.

Quinn

Poor baby is just dangling. She's a lb too light and an inch too short I think!

(percentiles from this site for actual age. It uses the CDC and not WHO charts, but whatever, good for scanning curves at least.  Quinn's really more like 2nd percentile in weight, but it only goes from 5-95th)
Birth: 3 lbs 8 oz & 16 inches
1 month (40w gestational): 5 lbs 13 oz (5th) & 19 inches (5th)
2 months: 7 lbs 13 oz (5th) & 20.5 inches (5th)
3 months: 9 lbs 9 oz (5th) & 22.5 inches (29th)
4 months: 10 lbs 9 oz (5th) and 23 inches (16th)

Avery

much more fun for Avery I think, since she can get one foot on the ground at a time.

Birth: 5 lbs 0 oz (5th) & 17 3/4 inches (5th)
1 month (40w gestational): 7 lbs 13 oz (7th) and 20 inches (38th)
2 months: 8 lbs 14 oz (9th) and 22 inches (46th)
3 months: 10 lbs 4 oz (10th) and 24 inches (80th)
4 months: 11 lbs 13 oz (12th) and 24 1/4 inches (60th)

singleton

Sunday morning I had some things to return to the store, so I decided to take Quinn with me for the trip since she was up and chipper (Avery of course woke up as I walked out of the door...). This is the first time I've taken just one baby anyplace (excepting the early days when Quinn was in the NICU and we went out to eat with Avery, which doesn't really count anyway, especially since newborns are uber easy to leave the house with).

Omg.

Easiest thing ever. 

Quinn around 8 weeks old in a 0-3 sleep gown. 9 weeks later and her feet almost reach the bottom

Now, I admit,

in anticipation of only having to anticipate the needs of one baby, I decided to live on the edge...and I wanted to get to the store ASAP before it got crowded and I needed to leave the house before anyone else (see above) woke up and threatened my plans. I really lived on the edge. Quinn had eaten and been changed literally minutes before I decided to take her along, so I threw an extra diaper and a small bottle in a wet bag, stuck a bib on her just in case the car didn't agree with her breakfast, and popped her in the carseat. Since our single stroller doesn't recline, I opted for a carrier since she's not nearly stable enough to be upright and I didn't have time to move the snuggler.  When I got to the store, I really lived on the edge. I left the bag in the car.

With Quinn strapped into the Ergo, off we treked into Kohls to make a return. It was empty and I had some Kohls Cash to spend, so we walked around for a while getting gifts for my cousins' kids for Christmas. It was pretty awesome. She fussed here and there, but as soon as I started moving again she stopped. The only thing I would change is I'd get a cart next time - she's way too small to sit in one at this point, but I could have used it for my stuff! It was hard to carry my purchases with the carrier, and then paying...my purse was strapped down under her! oops. 

We're pretty good at getting out with both kids, but it was much easier to get one baby in and out of the store without the stroller, supplies for the inevitable, and trying to perfect the timing so no one is hungry or poopy. I think it'll be a nice habit to get out with one at a time on occasion for both peace and quality time!