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). 

4 Eyes and 4 Ears Everywhere

Lately I've been concerned about giving each of you enough attention. There are 4 eyes and 4 ears on everything that I do. If I'm singing to one of you, the other is always watching and listening. Does that make you sad? I try so hard to take turns with you. 

I worry that if I pick up Charlotte first, Olivia will be sad or feel abandoned. I worry if I look at Olivia when I say peekaboo, Charlotte will be sad or feel less loved. If I feed you in the morning, then Daddy makes sure to feed you at night. If I got Charlotte out of bed first, then I try to make sure I get Olivia up first the next day. If I sing a song to one baby, I have to sing it to the other. I even switch eyes during Old MacDonald from one of you to the other: "With a Moo Moo" to Olivia "and a Moo Moo" to Charlotte. It's exhausting and no matter how hard that I try, I feel like one day one of you always gets more of my attention that the other. 

So I'm left wondering: Does Olivia lay in her bed playing silently so well because she's so used to me getting Charlotte first? Or do I pick up Charlotte first because Olivia is playing so happily on her own?  Does Charlotte not like my songs as much because I tend to look at Olivia more during them or do I look at Olivia more because she enjoys them more than Charlotte? 

It's exhausting to worry about, but I still try my best every single day. I love you both, and I love you each as individuals and I never want you to feel any differently. More importantly, I don't want either of you to be shaped in any way (negatively) by something I did or didn't do for you vs. your sister. 

At the end of the day, one of the things that will shape your personality is the fact that you're a twin. But I'm very aware that how I treat you is also something that will shape you. I'm doing my best! 

Our Little Songbird Olivia

I knew early on that you enjoyed music. There were many times you were only comforted by me playing or singing the song "Without You" by Keith Urban. It was immediate silence and intent listening from you. It amazed me! This continued as you grew with every song you heard: "Open Shut Them,", "Old MacDonald," "Hot Diggity Dog!" Then one day, around 5 months old, I realized you were singing! You had been babbling, but this was different. When I sang back, you stopped, smiled the biggest gummy smile I'd ever seen, then started again. I kept repeating your tune, which delighted you equally each time. It was such a thrill to feel like I had communicated with you! 

I still smile every time I hear your beautiful, out-of-tune melodies-- especially when they melt through the monitor when you think no one is listening. (And why it's so fun to surprise you in your crib to interrupt!) Charlotte must love it too, because she dreams right through it. :)