Fall Fun!

This fall has been so beautiful and I'm so glad to be able and play with the kiddos outside. They loved the leaves and running and diving into the leaf pile. With the pumpkins, the twins like to try and eat them (gross) so we always have to watch them closely! 

Kamryn & Laityn: 17 Months

The girls keep growing up and doing new things every day it seems. One of the bigger milestones is that they are now both in toddler beds. Laityn decided it would be fun to crawl out of her crib. I figured it would be better for her to be in a toddler bed than to risk her falling 3-4 feet off that ground from her crib. So we got out her toddler bed. It only took one night with her in the "big girl bed," and then Kamryn started trying to climb out of her crib. So now they are both in toddler beds. So hard to believe since they seem way too little to be in them!

They have also increased their vocabulary - the newest word they can't get enough of is, "baby." They call every child they see a baby, and point to pictures and say, "baby." They love playing with their baby dolls (which are wearing their matching preemie clothes), and will try wrapping them up in blankets and feed them their sippy cups.

Other words they have discovered are, mama, daddy, football, ball, duck, uh oh, shoes, socks, brush, yea, pretty. They also understand pretty much everything you tell them. If you ask them to brush their teeth, they will run and get their toothbrush. Same with bath time - running to the bathroom. Or if you ask them to get their clothes, shoes, jammies, etc, they run straight to their room and try opening the closet door. Its amazing how well they communitcate despite having a limited vocabulary.

Kamryn has gotten into the habit of hitting and throwing things, and will get angry and hit her head on things. Laityn can also stomp her feet and throw one heck of a fit. They fight with each other and I actually put Kamryn in time out the other day ;)

They continue to sleep about 11 hours at night, and will sometimes nap one or two times. They love to eat and snack. One of their favorite foods is cheeseballs and granola bars.  They will eat usually anything we give them, and if they don't, they throw it off their high chairs.

Laityn has 14 teeth and Kamryn has 13. It will be a great day when they are finished teething! Laityn has also graduated from the caridiologist. We are oficially specialist free! A year-and-a-half in the making! Feels so good!

It seems like our house is more childproofed than ever. I never remember having to childproof this much with Macyn! They literally get into everything. They have broken door locks and have gotten into cabinets (and have even locked each other in them). They climb on everything - highchairs, shelves, beds, you name it. They are fearless! 

People still tell me, "I cannot imagine." I can't imagine life without them - this business is our normal and it doesn't even phase us anymore. We still get a lot of attention when we are out and about, but it is normal to us. Some days are harder than others, but at the end of the day, we are incredibly blessed.

Kamryn & Laityn: 16 Months

We have survived another busy month! The twins are still wearing size 4 diapers and size 12 month clothes. Their feet have seemed to grow quickly, as they grew out of their sandals and I had to order some new ones online. I felt sorry for their heels hanging off their shoes!

Speaking of shoes, that is one of Laityn's new words. She also jabbers and tries to talk all the time. They have both picked up, "Daddy" and once in a great while, Laityn will say, "mama." It melts my heart! They have also learned to give hugs, and Laityn has learned to give slobbery, open-mouthed kisses. They hug each other as well. Something about two little people hugging is just so dang cute!

They have also outgrown their infant carriers so they now sit in there convertible car seats. They seem to like it pretty well, and its a lot easier to put them in and out of our car. They still weigh about 21-23 lbs (Kamryn is heavier). They are also curious and like to get into trouble. They climb everything, and its getting quite difficult to child proof our house. They always use their high chairs as a step stool to climb on the couch, so we have resorted to putting them on the floor.

This didn't last very long either, since they like to rock in their chairs and knock them over. So now we have resorted to putting their high chairs away...behind a gate. Other milestones, Laityn can use a fork for the most part. Its still tricky, but she gets the idea. They both love rocking in their rocking chairs and playing outside. They have quite the personalities, but are so fun at the same time. Laityn is more the, "cry baby," and always acts shy. Once she warms up to you shes a complete goofball. Kamryn is independent and laid back. She's not shy, but she is quiet. Kamryn can also do summer saults.

They do so many new things each day, that it's hard to remember. Time goes by so quickly!!

Kamryn & Laityn: 15 Months

 Hard to believe another month has passed already. Time seems to be flying by and it seems like I keep on getting more busy!

Besides me being more busy, the twins are busier than ever! It's very hard for them to sit still or stay in a stroller if we go out in public. They just want to run everywhere. We have also gone to the park a few times this month and they just love the free reign to go wherever they want. They are definitely outdoors kids and will cry once you bring them inside.

The girls have added a new word to their vocabulary - "Hi!" They also babble and "read" books out loud. They like to have fun running around the house and laughing hysterically at each other by playing peek a boo, or playing with the baby doll stroller and pushing each other. They do this pretty much every night right before they crash and go to bed.

They don't nap as long as they usually do, but we are starting to slowly get them off their bottles. We finally have found sippy cups that they will use and we will give them one before they go to bed. They have also gotten some more teeth. Laityn has gotten all four molars and Kamryn has two.

Some of their favorite foods are cheeseballs (like cheetos), chicken tacos from the Mexican restaurant, pizza, hamburger, corn, rice, granola bars, graham crackers, veggie straws, and bananas. They love milk and we still go through about 16-17 gallons of milk a week. They aren't really a fan of anything cold, and will pucker their mouths if you let them try ice cream!

The girls also climb and get into everything. They can reach stuff on the table, climb onto the furniture, and get stuck in some pretty small places. They love to explore! They are the sweetest little trouble makers ever, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Kamryn & Laityn: 14 Months

The girls are another month old, and they like to RUN (instead of walk) and also enjoy running in opposite directions. They are go getters and will hardly sit still. We have begun to put them into nursery at church since they like to try and go under the pews. Once we pick them up from the nursery, they want to run in the sanctuary. People seem to get a kick out of it, but I end up sweating from chasing them all over! They have also learned how to climb on the couch, and have unfortunately fallen off or come close to it a few times.

They usually take a morning nap, and will sometimes nap twice a day. We go through about 17 gallons of milk per month. That's alot of milk, but its better than 1 can of formula per day!

They are also starting to babble and "talk" some more. They have tried to make more sounds and I think (especially Laityn) likes to say, "book." They also understand if you tell them to do something - go get a ball, go get a book, bring this to mommy, where is your blankie. They are so smart!

They learn a lot by watching us, such as knowing that the remote control turns the TV on, and swiping on my phone. (Not that I'm proud of any of these things). It just amazes me how smart they are!

Kamryn takes her helmet off constantly, and Laityn enjoys pushing toys and playing by herself. She LOVES books as well. Their hair is starting to grow and thicken up. It is still dark and they still have dark/hazel eyes. They wear size 4 diapers, size 3 shoes, and 12 month clothes.

They are still happy girls who like to fight. Sometimes they tackle each other, or hit each other in their heads. No matter which toy they have, they always want the same ones. They also like to eat eachother's food off their highchairs and they will often share bottles with each other (voluntarily). Its so fun to watch them grow and interact with each other.

I sometimes get sad they are growing so fast, but soooo grateful for all the hurdles they have overcome! They are such sweethearts and I love them so much!

Kamryn & Laityn: 13 Months

I have officially survived the first month with my two new toddlers! Somedays I think to myself, "this is supposed to get easier, not harder," and somedays I think this is a breeze! The girls have graduated off of formula and now drink whole milk. They go through 3-4 gallons per week, and love their juice as well.

Kamryn:

• Started walking! Even though she can't stand up in the middle of the room, she will pull up on furniture and take off walking around the house

• She is very curious and gets into everything. She loves pushing buttons on the DVR and blu ray player. She also likes to "share" her toys by handing them to us and then giving us a hug

• Loves baths

• Hates her helmet. He head hasn't grown this past month so the helmet isn't working too well yet.

• Weighs a whole pound more than Laityn

• She's a content, happy go lucky baby!

Laityn:

• Beginning to walk and will sometimes take 3-4 steps. She can stand up in the middle of the room, but can't quite take off yet

• She seems to be the more reserved twin and likes to cuddle and be held

• Learned to clap

• Began to use her words more. She will sometimes say "mama" and says "baba" for pretty much everything. Its so cute because she acts so proud :)

• Loves baths and swimming

• Shes just a little peanut - only about 15 percentile for her height

The girls play and entertain each other all the time. The follow each other and fight over toys. The LOVE being outside and will often throw a big fit when you bring them in. They love ritz crackers, cookies, corn, peas, mac n cheese, and hamburger. The are growing girls! Their hair is coming in thicker and still dark. Their eyes are still brown / hazel. Its so different having two dark babies after having Macyn being blonde hair, blue-eyed. They are each other's best friends' for sure. Even when they get up at 6:00 every morning (yes, every morning), they talk and play with each other while in their cribs. I LOVE listening to them!

Life is busy with them. I am still not used to stares and comments, but I guess that's just people's fascination with twins!

First Birthday Celebration

We had a very small party for the girls - more like a celebration and a little less commercialized. It was simple, it was small, and it was meaningful. This time around I didn't have anything really planned. I bought a cake the day of, created a video two days before, and decided if we would have food or not the day before. For anyone who knows me, they know I am a planner. After this past year, I have realized that planning can overwhelm, and things will happen whether or not you plan in advance. So I kept it simple, stress free, and fun! We even played a game called, "How well do you know your twins?"

The girls LOVED the cupcakes, and Macyn picked out the cake. I try and find ways to include her, so I let her pick out whatever she wanted. She ended up picking a cute giraffe. We had simple decorations of pictures and one of the preemie sleepers they wore in the NICU. Its crazy how small they were. It was just an all around good celebration of how far they have come. Here are some pictures:

 Happy First Birthday, Kamryn & Laityn! Love you soo much and so proud of how far you have come!

Easter Weekend 2014

I have come to the realization that blogging has essentially gone to the back burner. Its a lot harder to blog regularly with three kids, two part time jobs, working at home, and finding time for yourself. With that being said, whenever I do find time to blog, they will pretty much be summarized posts.

So here is our Easter weekend in a nutshell!

We removed two large evergreens in order to make room for our new swingset. Well, I was sitting inside and I heard something and found that one of trees had dropped the wrong way. The problem was, it was growing so crooked that it just had a mind of its own and fell. Fortunately it missed the house, but not by much!

We also had the twin's first egg hunt outside. We avoided the community one because it is just too dang busy. So the girls had fun looking for eggs, and playing with all the outdoor textures. Its weird to think that they hadn't really felt grass until this spring. The eggs were filled with cheap candy and mini slinkies. The twins love the slinkies and still play with them all the time.

Sunday morning the Easter Bunny came and brought Macyn a Barbie pool, bike basket, and pajamas. The twins got pajamas as well, a swing for the new swingset, and a pair of sandals.

 

Shortly after this we got ready for church. I decided to buy the girls all the same dress this year, and Macyn LOVED it. I sometimes think she feels left out since the twins are dressed the same a lot of the time, so she was quite excited. After some bribing the big one, we were able to get some good pictures of the girls.

After church we headed to DH's side of the family and had a great time! Happy Easter!

11 Months: Kamryn & Laityn

It has been a busy and somewhat stressful month. The biggest thing that has happened is the girls ended up with RSV. They had so much congestion that they would vomit atleast once per day. In fact, this lasted for two weeks. So needless to say, sleeping hasn't been that great. However, I am pleased to announce that the girls are now healthy (knock on wood). With that being said, here are the "milestones" this past month that I can remember with my foggy, tired, brain!

Kamryn:
• 18lbs 1oz. Note: This measurement was when she was sick. In fact she lost 9oz in one day when she had RSV
• Was on steroids to clear her lungs and also received a shot in her leg for an antibiotic
• Went to the doctor daily for 4 days straight!
• Developed a rash with her new helmet, so we had to get it adjusted
• Learned how to walk behind her push toy
• Seems to be the dominant twin. She is strong willed and will also throw tantrums already
• Likes to pick on Laityn and gets jealous if she has something she wants
• Eats a ridiculous amount of food - loves crackers, bread, fruit, veggies, pasta, ho hos, soup, puffs, pancakes, and bacon
• She will continue to eat as long as there is food on her tray and she gets mad if she runs out
• Learned to clap and will do it on cue
• Pretty much skipped 9 month clothes and are now wearing 12 month
• Has 7 teeth

Laityn:
• 18lbs 2oz
• Made a trip to the ER with rapid breathing due to the RSV
• FINALLY started babbling!
• She likes to speed crawl and will do this with her head down, which results in her doing headers into random things
• Is a nice, clean eater. Kamryn smashes everything and shoves it into her mouth
• A low maintenince baby who will be content playing with her toys
• Accidentally fell down the stairs. Fortunately she was only scared and nothing major happened. Mommy had a heart attack though!
• Loves looking outside
• Hates getting her diaper changed
• Bathtime is one of her favorite things
• Has not figured out a push toy yet, but does cruise along the furniture
• Has 6 teeth
• LOVES all her food - crackers, bananas, pancakes, and pudding!

This has been a difficult month. I knew it would be hard when both girls were sick - I just didn't know it would be this hard! Fortunately things are turning around and we have our sweet girls back! They have a love/hate relationship with each other. Most the time they play, other times they fight and swat at each other. I just kinda laugh, but in the back of my mind, I think this is just a preview of whats to come!! 

10 Months: Kamryn & Laityn

What a busy month we had! The biggest thing was both girls can now crawl on their knees and they are super fast! The like to be in the bathroom and look into the bathtub, and pull themselves up on everything. They definitely like to explore and follow each other around the house. They also like to play "games" where one will take off really fast, and then turn around and see if the other is following or not - kinda like cat & mouse!
Kamryn:
• 17lbs 12oz, 28" long
• Starting to grow into 9 month clothes, but continues to wear a variety. The onesie in the pictures is 3-6 months, pants 3-6 months, and jacket is 6 months.
• Still wearing size 2 diapers!
• Got both bottom teeth this past month
• Loves toast, pasta, carrots, peas, and anything with noodles...and the occasional oreo ;)
• Also likes her snacks like puffs, crunchies, and whatever else we give her
• Dislikes rice cereal!
• Babbles
• Starting to cruise around furniture
• Has broken the BluRay player because she pulled it out of the entertainment center
• We tell her "no, no" and she turns around with an innocent look and smiles
• Still hates her carseat
• Likes to chew on her toes
• Received her helmet and will wear it for 6 months. It doesn't fit quite right, so we may be getting a new one
• Sleeps from 7-5:30
• Takes a morning & afternoon nap

Kamryn

Laityn:
• 18lbs
• She seems to be a little shorter than Kamryn
• Still wearing size 2 diapers!
• Got both bottom teeth this past month
• Loves toast, pasta, carrots, peas, and anything with noodles...and the occasional oreo ;)
• Also likes her snacks like puffs, crunchies, and whatever else we give her
• Babbles
• Starting to cruise around furniture
• Ofter pulls on Kamryn's helmet or hits it
• Doesn't babble yet
• She likes to scream and play really loud!
• Has one of the funniest laughs I have ever heard

• Sleeps from 7-5:30
• Takes a morning & afternoon nap
• Had her 2nd ear infection this month

Laityn

 The girls also enjoy being outside and being at home with their mama! They love their big sister and
"tormenting" her. Yes, its starting already! Love ALL my girls to pieces!

9 Months: Kamryn & Laityn

9 months old already! We have had some ups and down this past month, but just looking at how far these two have come, overshadows some of the downs. Both girls enjoy crawling (on their tummies) anywhere and everywhere....the bathroom, bedrooms, mudroom, behind the couch, table, and everywhere else in between. They are also starting to pull up onto their knees on things as well. They like to follow each other where ever they go....they are pretty much inseparable!
They have started to eat some finger foods, but we are under specific rules of no dairy or other allergens, so they eat meat, puffs, toast, and other small things. They do pretty well and they enjoy the tastes of all their new foods.

Here are some individual updates
Kamryn
• 16lbs 14oz, 28" long
• She is starting to babble saying, "mamamama" and "babababa."
• Learned how to do "SO BIG"
• Loves to eat...anything!
• Holds her own bottle
• Sits up on her own
• Crawls everywhere 
• Loves taking a bath with both sisters
• Went to the doctor to see if she needed a helmet. She will be getting one in two weeks and will wear it for 22 hours a day for about six months
• Was also diagnosed with toriticollis, and we did some physical therapy with her, along with excercises at home. I am happy to say her toticollis has resolved and no longer requires therapy
• Had a repeat heart echo and discovered her ventricular hypertrophy has normalized
• However, the echo discovered a new problem - pericardial effusion. This means she has fluid around her heart, and if there gets to be too much fluid it can cause her heart not to function properly. She has been on ibuprofin to try and get the fluid out of there. We have a repeat echo in two weeks

Laityn
• 16lbs 2oz, 27.5" long
• Crawls on her tummy
• Sits up on her own
• Has pulled herself up on the couch
• Went and checked on her hemangioma, and we will begin to wean her off her medicine within the next few months
• She hasn't quite gotten the pincer grasp down yet
• We found out despite being physically on track, she is now developmentally behind. If she doesn't start to catch up soon, we may need to do some further testing
• We knew she would have the possibillty of being slower, due to the fact that we don't exactly know how long her brain was without oxygen when she was born...just never would have imagined it would show up this quickly
• Had her first ear infection
• LOVES bath time- and splashing!

So this past month we had many ups and downs, and some medical news that gives me a knot in my stomach. I try not to worry and I think what makes it better is being home with two happy girls. They fill my life with so much joy, and it seems to outweigh the "bad" news. I am just so proud of them with how far they have come, even if there are still challenges along the way. One quote I love, "Remember that your child, not statistics will determine her course."

Even if odds are against them, they determine their course. God already knows what course they will be on, and has planned it out already. This is a very comforting fact to get through these "bumps" in the road.

Christmas Helpers

We have had our Christmas tree up for quite some time, and we were debating whether or not to block off our tree from the twins. We decided not to, and well...this is what happens:

 Kamryn and Laityn have managed to pull almost all the bows off the presents and the bottom of the tree is missing quite a bit of flocking. However....

Macyn never complains about getting a "sneak peak" at her presents after one of the twins (mostly Kamryn) ripped it open. Needless to say, lots of our presents are going for the tear, tape, repeat look this year.

Bathing Beauties

Macyn was adamant about taking a bath with the twins, even though there wasn't enough room in the tub. Either way, all the kids loved being in there with Macyn and I snapped some cute pictures!

Splashing with Kamryn

Kamryn

Macyn with Laity-Bug

Mohawks!

7 Months: Kamryn & Laityn

 Its so, so, so, hard to believe the twins are seven months old already! They continue to grow and are starting to develop their personalities! The past week has been pretty rough as they both came down with a cold and runny noses. No fun! We went a few days without any smiles, but they are slowly starting to come back.

We got the okay to start feeding them more, so they go through two jars of baby food, cereal and about 1 can of formula a day. The do well eating this amount and seem like such big girls eating all their fruits and vegetables in the high chairs!

The girls still cannot sit, but they get around. Laityn moves in circles up on her knees, while Kamryn rolls to where she needs to go. We have had a few Christmas presents get ripped open already. The doctor isn't too concerned yet that they can't sit. She saw how much they move around and she thought they might just skip sitting for a while and go right to crawling! The girls are pretty much content and love to play with their toys and bounce in their jumperoo. They have even started having conversations with each other. They will look at each other and take turns squealing, laughing, and spitting. They already have their own little language! They both love bath time and like to kick their legs and splash. The figured out how to blow bubbles and spit, so they will often be content doing that.

Kamryn: 15lbs 4oz (7th percentile), 26.75" (59th percentile)

• Kamryn's height skyrocketed the past month

• 0-3 month clothes no longer fit and she wears 3-6 month clothes

• Graduated to size 2 diapers!

• Kamryn's head is still mis-shaped so she will need to get her head mapped for an orthotic helmet. Since her head is bulging, this could be the reason her eyes seem smaller than Laityn's

• Next month we have her repeat EKG and Echo to make sure her heart is getting better

• She LOVES to roll around and get into things

• She also likes her jumperoo and looking outside

• She has liked all the baby food she has tried, except peaches

• Sleeping through the night doesn't seem like a priority to her!

Laityn: 15lbs 6oz (10th percentile), 26.5" (49th percentile)

• Laityn grew a whole bunch - but not as much as Kamryn

• 0-3 month clothes no longer fit and she wears 3-6 month clothes

• Graduated to size 2 diapers! 

• We still visit the pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat for treatment of her hemangioma. She may need laser therapy in a couple of years, just depends on how everything turns out

• Looks like she can crawl, but refuses to sit or do anything else

• She is also not a fan of peaches

• Laity-Bug sleeps through the night more than Kamryn

It seems like they have grown up a lot this past month. Even their grandparents are surprised how big and less baby-like they are getting! I miss my little cuddle bugs. Its so hard to fathom that they were so little when they were born and now they seem like toddlers compared to that!

Halloween Costume(s)! DIY

This year for Halloween, we went for some "easy" DIY costumes. Macyn had a few different costumes since she had her regular costume, and two separate parties at preschool/daycare.

Costume #1: Dr. Seuss's the Cat in the Hat featuring Thing 1 and Thing 2
Macyn's Cat in the Hat: Black shirt and pants from her closet, a red bow made out of ribbon, and a hat that I had from when I was a kid
Twin's Thing 1 and Thing 2 : Glued a blue feather boa to hats to make their wigs, and my friend from college made the onesies

Costume #2: Ballerina (worn to pre-school party)
Macyn wore a pair of tights we already owned, a dance costume from a garage sale for $1, and a hair bow she borrowed from the twins

Costume #3: Vikings Cheerleader (worn to daycare and trick or treating)
Macyn decided the night before (we don't procrastinate or anything) that she wanted to be a cheerleader. We already had a cheerleader dress that Grandma bought her. All she needed was some pom poms. I ran to Walmart and picked up some tablecloths and duct tape and went to town. The pom poms actually turned out pretty well and she still plays with them. We added some ribbon to her pigtails to complete the look. She insisted on wearing her cowboy boots to be a cheerleader (I think she has watched the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader show a few too many times)

The twins were still Thing 1 and Thing 2: