The Girls

As of yesterday, Clare is 22 months old. She spent the night at LoLo and Pop's on Tuesday night, and here are a few pictures. As you can see, she is thoroughly enjoying her cheese popcorn.


Clare loves to "play toys," and she much prefers you to play with her. Tea parties, cooking, and coloring are a few of her favorites. She especially loves playing with all of her grandparents. She has pretty much dropped her morning nap. Thankfully, she held onto two naps per day longer than most kids do.
She is still very into Elmo, but she also likes Mermaid (from The Little Mermaid) and The Backyardigans. She is a great eater and sleeper. She repeats everything she hears, and she never forgets ANYTHING! She has the best facial expressions, and she makes me laugh everyday.

The little girls are doing pretty well, although we have had our fair share of fussiness over the past few days. Lately, it has seemed that if the twins are awake, they are crying. I am trying to chalk it up to their prematurity. I think it might just take them longer to have happy periods of wakefulness. At least that is what I am hoping it is!

Sleep is still a hot commodity around our house. Jane and Sydney are no closer to sleeping through the night than when they first got home. Casey has taken up residence in the study, so that he can get some rest before heading off to work everyday. I know that sleepless nights are just part of having newborns...just not the most fun part.

Guess Who?

The twins are fraternal, and don't really look that much alike to me. However, others tell me they look very similar. Let's see who can tell my girls apart! Scroll down to see who is who....






The first picture is of Sydney, second is of Jane, third is of Sydney, and the fourth is Clare at the same age.

Announcing....

Just wanted to have a copy of the birth announcement on my blog. Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Cabin Fever

Yesterday I woke up with a strong case of cabin fever. I needed to get out of the house, and I didn't care where we went. Since our doctors have advised us not to take the little girls out to public places during cold season, I loaded everyone up and headed to my mom's. I hadn't taken all three girls out yet by myself, and man, it was quite a chore to get us all ready. First, I had to feed the little ones. That takes about 30-45 minutes (at least). Next, I dressed and diapered all three girls. Then, I loaded the twins into their car seats, so that if they fell asleep they would already be where they needed to be! I gathered up all of the necessities for the day...change of clothes for Jane and Sydney, diapers for everyone, three pacifiers, blankets, lovies, pajamas for Clare, and my big diaper bag. Once all that was together, Clare decided she needed a snack and a drink. I fixed her a cup of juice and a bowl of Cheerios. Finally, we were ready to actually get in the car. I loaded all three girls in the car, making sure they are all securely in their car seats and warm enough. I went back inside to get the bag of aforementioned stuff, and headed for the door. An hour and a half later I was ready to hit the road, but not before I stepped on some Cheerios that had mysteriously appeared on the floor.

We arrived at Mom's around noonish. It was very nice to be out of the house for the day. Since Casey has been working late this week, we stayed until after dinner. Although it took a lot of prep work to get out of the house, it was well worth it. I know I enjoyed the change of scenery, and I am sure the girls did as well.



Clare continues to do really well with her new role of big sister. Here she is teaching Sydney all about the animals on Noah's ark. She occasionally needs reminders on being gentle and talking quietly, but all in all, she has done great.

In other news, Sydney and Jane got their first Synagis shot today. I hated watching them get poked, but maybe now I won't be quite as paranoid about germs. The only good part of the doctor visit was that they each got weighed. Jane weighs 8 lbs. 2 oz. and Sydney weighs 7 lbs. 11 oz. It is always nice to hear that they are gaining weight. Jane weighs what Clare weighed when she was born, but I don't think Jane will ever have the thigh rolls that her big sister had!

Better Late than Never

As promised, here is Clare's picture with Santa. Needless to say, Clare wasn't feeling too merry.

All the Greats

This weekend Jane and Sydney got to meet some more family members. They met Mamma a few weeks ago, and on Friday they enjoyed being held and rocked by Granny and Grandad. I think my girls are pretty lucky to have three great grandparents! I only wish they could've known all of them.

Pretty in Pigtails

This and That

Tomorrow, January 16, was my full term 40 week due date, and today the girls are 6 weeks old. I never thought that I would be pregnant into January, but I also didn't think they would come as early as they did. Thankfully, they are healthy and growing well!

Jane is an "easy" baby, and she rarely gets upset. She sleeps and nurses well and likes the swing. She is starting to be awake a bit more (but still sleeps A LOT.) Sydney is my snuggly little girl. She won't take a pacifier and has an "I mean business" cry. She likes to be held and get right up in that nook in your neck. They are both so sweet. It still shocks me that we have twins!

Clare continues to keep me smiling....most of the time. She is definitely starting to test her limits and figure out what she can and can't get away with. We are trying to figure out what form of discipline works the best for her. The toddler phase brings on a whole new set of challenges. She definitely knows when she shouldn't be doing something because she will look at me, shake her finger, and say "no-no." All that said, she has a great little personality, and it is so fun to watch her grow up.

We are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Brody, my first nephew! He should be here any day!

My Day in Numbers

21...number of diapers changed in a 24 hour period

15...number of minutes spent getting ready

8...number of tea parties held in the toy room

1...number of times I left the house (to get the mail)

18...number of peas picked up off of the floor under Clare's high chair

4...number of peas that were smushed

2...number of times I watched Elmo's Christmas Countdown

5:30-6:30....longest hour of the day

3...number of phone calls dealing with insurance issues

1,000,000....number of times I think I have the coolest 21 month old and sweetest 5 week olds around

Holding Pattern

I haven't taken many pictures of Clare lately because every time I get out the camera, she makes her "mean face"....see below. The above picture is from a month or so ago, but I still like it. I wish I could capture a more current smiling picture, but she doesn't seem near as interested in making a "happy face."


Jane and Sydney are 5 weeks old today. Having your second (and third) child is a whole different ball game. When Clare was their age, I would hold her all the time. The twins get fed and then usually get put down. I just don't have time to sit around and hold them. In the long run, I know it is good that they aren't getting used to being held all of the time. However, I also know that they don't stay little for very long, and I hate to miss out on the stage where they are just happy to fall asleep in my arms. After Clare is in bed for the evening, I usually try to get in some good holding time.

One Month and 21 Months

Clare turned 21 months old on the 30th and the twins are one month old today. Clare continues to surprise us with her pleasant reaction to the twins invasion into her life. She is at such a fun age, and she is constantly making me laugh. She is looking so much more like a little girl, rather than a baby. The thought of her growing up so fast makes me sad.
Clare and Jane

I took the twins to their one month check-up today. Both girls are gaining weight well and are healthy. Jane weighs 6 lbs. 14 oz., and Sydney weighs 6 lbs. 9 oz. We found out today that our insurance is going to cover Synagis shots, which help prevent RSV. They will probably get the first one on Tuesday and then every 28 days until RSV season is over.

Jane

I have had a few days home alone with all three kids this week. It is definitely busy! The trickiest part of the day is feeding time, but I feel like we are getting into a good routine. I try to time at least one feeding during Clare's nap time and take advantage of any spare hands that drop by! The girls are sleeping pretty well at night. Last night they went for a 4 hour stretch and then a 5 hour stretch. I can't argue with that for a 4 week old!

Sydney

These girls go through a lot of diapers everyday, and I have determined that all diapers are not created equal. My vote for the newborn stage goes to the Pampers Swaddlers...at least for little girls.

Sydney

Jane

Sydney & Jane