Music!!!

I've been wanting to take you to a music class since I heard Aunt Lisa sing all those cute songs, but I just didn't know how to do it without help. Thankfully, Aunt Lisa arranged for us to go to Anthony's Little Birds class yesterday.  You loved it!!!! 

You even did great with me messing with your sleep schedule. You usually sleep 2 hours in the morning, but we woke you after just 20 minutes! The class and short nap wore you out, resulting in a 3 hour afternoon nap! I didn't care one bit about an off day -- it was worth it! We'll be joining one here in the spring. I think I can handle it now that you're sitting! YAY!

 Us with Aunt Rachel

Charlotte

Olivia

On the Road Again

We're visiting Aunt Lisa, Uncle Tony and cousin Anthony this weekend! We travel down to Ohio quite a bit-- this is our third trip in a month! This used to stress your mother out quite a bit, since you require us to bring half of the house with us where ever we go. The packing procedure has been perfected now and traveling to the DiRenzo's is easier since they half much of what you need. We left at 9 pm after your last bottle, and you slept the entire way. When we get where ever we're going, we simply lug the car seats to your pack and plays, carefully sack you up, give a binky and back to sleep you go. Such angels!

Now we can reap the rewards of a day of preparation-- 5 days with Mommy's family and a big break from our boring winter routine! 

These Long Winter Days

It's Monday again, and Daddy has left again for a business trip. (Deep sigh.) It's days like today that make me realize how lucky we are to have him at home most of the time. It makes me feel less isolated. We are in this house ALL the time because it's winter and you're still little and there's two of you, so I can't easily get you out of here. I swear that you get as bored as I do. 

Our schedule right now is so predictable, but I'm starting to wonder if it's time to switch it up--both for a new routine to get us out of a rut and because you're getting older and because I'd like you down to 2 naps for Florida. (It seems most sentences around here begin with "when we go to Florida..." We cannot stinkin' wait for warm weather, the ocean, long walks and Daddy and family around all the time!) 

7:30 or 8a: wake and bottle
9a: cereal and fruit
10a: nap
12p: bottle
2p: nap
3p: bottle
5p: nap
6p: veggies and fruits
7:30p: bath
8p: bottle
8:30p: bed

You rotate between belly time, jumper time, cartoons (though I hate it and feel like such a horrible mother when I turn it on), sitting up-- all with toys being switched in and out. It's a struggle every day to keep you entertained and help you develop while staying sane.  We're all on repeat, and it's really hard when we can't go anywhere. These 4 walls will be burned in your brain as much as mine. But despite our boredom- you're growing every day! It's like you're a different person today vs. last week. Amazing. Your smiles keep me going.  I look at you in awe, soak you up and know that even though this is so hard,  I will miss it someday. It's a time in my life that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world! 

So.... today I will research how to change to 2 naps. How do I get in 4 bottles and food? Do I drop a bottle and increase the ones you get? Do you sleep longer? How will I entertain you when you're getting tired? Should I just wait until you are clearly not tired after 2 hours of play to try this? When do I add more food? What baby food should I be making? How? Are you getting enough variety? When do finger foods start? 

What I do know is that I stressed so much on how to get you to sleep through the night. We kept changing things on you and stressing about getting you up to 6 oz bottles.... I don't need to do that again. You do what you want when you're ready. 

But still... should I try something new? 

(I will end here because I hear your breathing has changed from sleep to playing with your precious little hands. :) Love you!)

February Fun!

February is a time for birthday parties in our family! This weekend Grandma and Grandpa came to visit so that we could go to a friend's party on Saturday night. The weekend started with a night out to eat-- a rarity for us. It's Lent and Grandpa needs to eat healthy, so we took you out to Deadwood for some healthy grilled fish. When we go out to eat, we feed you on our laps or in your car seats while we wait for our food. While we wait, you play with toys. (The trick is to ask for the check WHILE we eat, because you get really tired of sitting by the time we get done eating.)

We went to the mall on Saturday-- Grandpa strolled you around as you gazed starstruck at all around you! You literally don't move when you have so much to soak in. (Mommy spent time shopping for herself for the first time since she lost all 65 lbs of her pregnancy weight.) After the craziness of the mall, you spent the entire evening with your grandparents-- a first for your parents. We had left you with sitters before, but not for the entirety of your evening and bedtime routine. You were angels again, and your parents had a very nice evening out! Thank you dear daughters! 

To round out the weekend, we went to Vinny's for his 8th birthday party! This turned out to be a little bit of a disaster, as you fell asleep in the last 10 minutes of a 40 minute drive and didn't sleep the rest of the day. But we got to see Aunt Gina, Uncle Matt, your cousins & Uncle Michael. It was the first you slept in the car seats not in the car-- so tired! 

Such a great weekend! 

Half a YEAR!

You're 6 months old today!!! Half a year... wow.

Charlotte & Olivia

Charlotte & Olivia

It's as if you know you're older, because you're suddenly different children altogether. You just seem 'older' as you look around for anything and everything to pick up and chew on. Charlotte: You are laughing and squealing all the time, and even lean to get things from my hands to your mouth. Olivia: you watch everything. Everything. You're just so studious and inquisitive. I can carry you both around on my hip now like such big girls! You're growing every single day, and it just amazes me how quickly it's happening.

Happy Valentine's Day!

       

My little Valentines

6 Month Well Visit

Back to Dr. Howard we went:

Charlotte: 19 lbs. 10 oz., 28.5 inches long, head circumference of 44 cm.
Olivia: 16 lbs. 9 oz., 28.5 inches long, head circumference of 45.5 cm.

Needless to say, Miss Charlotte, you're a bigger baby, even though we feed you the same amount! Dr. Howard says you're perfect though, at 95th percentile for your weight and 99th for your height, you are very proportional!

And Miss Olivia, you're a bobblehead! And a perfect one too, coming in at 50th percentile for your weight, but 100th on height and head size.

You lucked out and missed out on vaccinations today. Doc wouldn't give you a flu shot until Friday, and Mommy and Daddy gave you Advil before he came in the room. When he heard that, he said the absorption rate is lower with pain meds administered prior to shots, so we have to go back. Ugh. Mommy hates that. Oh well... you seem to like to get out of the house, so on another adventure we will go...

However.... this may mean sleep training?!?!? by daddy tonight when Mommy leaves to go out with her girlfriends. There's no excuse now! :(

A Whole New Ballgame.. Mobility.

Charlotte suddenly and finally mastered rolling over from her belly to her back. You llleeeaaaan your head over, and then flip! :) Now we can't keep you on your belly! 

And sweet Olivia: You kick so hard and fast and push up so tall, but you haven't rolled over since your 5 month birthday. However, you're getting places by pushing with those strong legs of yours. :) 

Someone once told me that the first year was easy.  I looked at her in disbelief, wondering how anything could be harder than learning how to care for 2 tiny little babies that ate and ate and ate. Today, I get it. You're too heavy to carry together now (though I still do it some days), so I have to take one of you upstairs, then the other. But that requires leaving each of you alone for a few moments. If you're mobile..... and I leave you.... oh wow. That's a whole new ballgame. I suddenly get it. And I have a renewed and fevered interest in house hunting.

Her Smile Makes the World Go Round

Charlotte's smile is infectious! She is our happy baby, for sure. She smiles even when she's sick, when she's tired, and almost every time you look at her. She smiles for Mickey Mouse, she smiles for Olivia, she smiles for her Mommy and Daddy especially. She smiles from the inside out. She smiles with her eyes and her nose and her shoulders and her hands and her beautiful mouth. I seriously think that smile could make the world go round.

(Her first smile at Mommy was in October 5th, 2012 and accidentally captured on her phone.)

Jump! Jump! Jump!

We've learned to Jump! Jump! Jump! Mommy is so excited that she has something new for you to do! I have to be careful though- it's all you guys want to do. I guess this starts learning how to take turns!

Olivia started on 1/22 at Aunt Rachel's, Charlotte started today! I think she took longer because Olivia was always the one hanging in it. Charlotte always sat in the ExerSaucer (because she fit in it).