1!

Incredible.

The girls kicked off their birthday weekend with a bit of celebrating at daycare...

early morning, before everyone has arrived

dude, I was eating my breakfast. why am I not at the table anymore?

On Saturday, we had a little party with our families...

(it is super hard to get two ONE year olds to smile at once!)

Right in the middle of the festivities, the sky opened. Chaos ensued, and I wish I'd been able to get some photos of the rain and what it did the the tent.

before the storm. You should have seen us trying to save the tent (we did succeed, but were soaked).

So we had cake inside...

bitty babies/11 mo

So I totally missed their 11 mo update. Oh well. Sorry kids.

The biggest thing around that time was the latest bout of ear infections (which won us a bunch on omficef, since neither is tolerating the normal stuff...). And a lot of crappy sleep from the ear infections, the sleep, then who knows what. Bad habits on our part I guess. We need to work on that. Another post, another day.


At our 11 month appointment (a checkback on the ears + a weight check), Avery tipped the scales at 16lbs 4oz and Quinn hit 15 lbs on the nose. We'll see how they look on Wednesday. I'm hoping they're creeping back onto the CDC chart, but am going to bring my WHO chart anyway. They do eat and drink, but they're just not garbage disposal babies, which  I admit makes me nervous. Aren't 1 year olds supposed to eat everything in sight?? How did we skip that stage and go right to picky toddlers? 

almost toddlers

As we approach their first birthday, it's just so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact these girls are nearly toddlers. Look how giant they are!

They own shoes for heaven's sake!!
Compare that to this one (taken with my phone - why do they get that weird grain?) in April sometime, so just about 3 months ago.

no more PT

Quinn has been in physical therapy since 2 or 3 months (I can't even remember, how pathetic is that?). She had a bit of torticollis (tightness in the neck) and was born with a pretty bad flat spot from being smushed on her mommy's pelvis in utero. About 2 months ago she was "officially" released from PT when she became a 4 limbed crawler and was officially caught up to her adjusted age (that big 5 weeks has always been a big deal with our IUGR baby developmentally).  However, our therapist offered to keep her on for a bit to make sure she kept developing her core muscles and such (and our insurance was ok with this).

flying solo

Since we both work and the girls are in daycare, it is relatively rare for one of us to be alone with the girls for a period of time longer than the morning between when I leave for work and they get to school or the evening between when I pick them up and Chris returns from work.  This week, thanks to HFM, we're both getting a couple of days alone. Today is day 3 of the illness and my first with the two all day.  There is a lot of crying.  As it happens, they're doing better today, the rash is fading, and the fever is gone. We made it to 9 am before heading out to Lowes. I would fail as a SAHM.  I'm considering mowing the lawn over nap (if they ever stop crying and go to sleep) so we can go swimming this afternoon (the clover is out of control).

As a related sidebar, the last time I had a baby sick day, I was home with just Quinn (the time before that it was Avery, and happened pretty much the same). Too sick for daycare, too well to sleep all day. We went to BJs, to CVS, and picked up some lunch out.  It is kind of ridiculously easy to run around town with one baby. All carts fit one infant. Only one baby to feed randomly. Only one kid to buckle/unbuckle over and over, to carry in/out of places, etc.  Don't get me wrong - there's a lot of awesome things about two - but every time I go out with one I am reminded how High Order Multiples (HOM) moms must walk on water and why "people" say it is the second baby that is the life changer. (Besides the logistical issues, it is a lot harder to get a sitter for two than one.)

Baby paxil

The good news is for infants, ibuprofin and acetopheminafim (for IS that spelled?) are nearly instant mood boosters.

The bad news is 100% of the minors in our house have Hand Foot and Mouth disease, meaning 100%  of the adults are having a crappy week.

built in buddies

One of the best things about twins is they have a built in playmate. I joke our girls are advanced socially - they started stealing toys at daycare around 7 months - because they have each other. They "chat" all the time and just SQUEAL with joy when they hug the other (ok, when we hold them up together and shimmy them together...at 11 mo they aren't really HUGGING yet)

This is a month ago - I can't believe I took this a month ago already -

This one was taken this weekend -

on the move

I mentioned in my last post it's getting really hard to get photos of the girls. I thought we had more time before the toddler wiggles!!

Alas, I tried to get a photo of me with them - since I take most of our pictures - and most came out like this:

this is the best i could do!

Happy Belated Fourth of July!

my girls all dressed up for the parade!!

I tried desperately to do a photo shoot in these crab rompers because they're freaking adorable.

This is the best I could do of their bottoms.

always on the move.

And so it begins

This was the girls' first week in the mobile infant room. They did really well, taking one nap on cots and hanging in with the walking kids.

Today Avery was bitten.. .not even by an older kid, but by ( I think) once of the little boys who just moved over from Infants with our girls).

When the teacher told me, I laughed. I am sure she thinks I am insane, but really? It's going to happen!

they really do grow up so fast

Its just one of those little weeks where you can't get over how fast those bitty, squishy babies - the ones who's heads fit in the palm of your hand - are growing up.

This weekend they rode in a toddler cart.  We frequently find them sleeping on their sides and backs now (they were once rather immobile belly sleepers). They moved to MOBILE infants at daycare today.

I am currently watching them - in real time - go down for naps. ON COTS. Avery (well, I think it is her anyway) appears to be asleep - it wouldn't shock me if she passed out eating lunch; they're still working on this not-napping-until 11:45 thing - but Quinn keeps crawling off. Their new teacher is sitting next to her now rubbing her back.
Quite a change in that classroom today, from 6 kids to 10 - the girls and their two boyfriends "graduated" - complete with balloons and bag of sand-toys - from Infants on Friday. I'm dying to see how their day went when I get home. Its a big change from baby-led Infants to scheduled Mobile Infants, even though the rooms connect!