Fall Break

We made it...fall break is here! One whole week off to snuggle and love on my not so babyish-babies! Today we celebrated and kicked off fall break at a local orchard. It was so nice; we basically had the place to ourselves. While there you both experienced your first hayride, corn maze, and pumpkin picking! It's safe to say you both loved it; Wiley you were all smiles and Ryan you were shouting all day with excitement. What a fun way to start our week together!

10 Months

Wiley

• 15 lbs 10 oz
• You are still on the move at all times! You pull yourself up on everything and walk abound while holding on
• You are starting to stand without holding on for just a couple seconds or so
• You are jabbering up a storm: mama, dada, baba, lala. These sounds still don't have any meaning, but you sure love to talk.
• You have copied your brother's silly face and will scrunch up your nose while making a silly breathing sound through your nose. You will make this face on command when others do it to you
• You seem to be our picky eater. If you don't like something, you grunt, cry, close your mouth and refuse to eat it. If we happen to slide it in there somehow, you gag and struggle to swallow it
• When I first went back to work, you boycotted naps for Zsu Zsu, but seem to be back on schedule, taking typically two naps a day and sleeping through the night again. However, you do seem to be our night owl; you don't like going to bed quite as early as your brother (your bedtime typically is 8:30 - 9) and you usually wake before him.
• You love taking walks and swinging in your big boy swing
• When you are excited you squeal with excitement 

Ryan

• 14 lbs
• You are still on the move at all times! You pull yourself up on everything and walk abound while holding on
• You are starting to stand without holding on for just a couple seconds or so
• You are jabbering up a storm: mama, dada, baba, lala. These sounds still don't have any meaning, but you sure love to talk
• Your scrunched up-frustrated face is now one you make just to be silly, knowing it will get a laugh. You will do it on command too when others do it to you
• While your weight doesn't reflect it, you are our eater. You love just about everything and it seems as if we can never feed you enough
• You still love your sleep (except for today!). You get two solid naps a day and sleep through the night. You like to go to bed earlier than your brother (usually between 7:15 and 7:45) and sleep later too (usually between 7:30 and 8).
• You love your morning walks with Zsu Zsu and swinging in your big boy swing
• When excited you shout and bang your hand on the coffee table or couch. You still love music! You clap and dance when any music comes on.

One year ago today, I was put on bed rest and four days later hospitalized. It seems like just yesterday we were fighting for your lives, praying that God grant us this miracle. We tried to hold on to our faith and believe that God wouldn't let us lose you boys, but there was definitely fear and pain. We committed to staying positive and doing whatever it would take to keep you boys safe. Here we are, one year later with the healthiest, happiest ten-month olds we could ever ask for. God has shown our family such mercy with your lives. We will never be able to thank Him enough, but will try by making the most out of your two precious lives He gifted us. We love you boys so much. Thank you for bringing light and laughter back into our home. Thank you for fixing our broken hearts and bringing joy back into our lives. You have healed me, Wiley and Ryan. You have given my life such purpose. Happy ten months, sweet boys.

9 Months

Wiley

• 14 lbs 6 oz
• You are constantly on the move! We can't leave you alone for a second or you will already be into something you probably shouldn't be...you especially love to chomp on shoes. You will also now crawl to your toy box when you are finished with a toy, look through the box, and pick out the new toy you'd like to play with!
• The second we lay you on your belly or back, you roll right up to a sitting position. You want to be looking around and seeing everything around you
•  You are pulling up constantly: on the couch, crib, tables, anything at eye level
• You get jealous when I'm nursing your brother alone. You immediately begin to cry, crawl over, climb on top of me, and wiggle your way in so that you can nurse too!
• You are talking up a storm! You have many different sounds that you're saying: mama (not for me yet, but producing the sounds), lala, baba, dada (not for daddy yet, just the sound), and a various combinations of those sounds together. We have been teaching you some sign language too and you are beginning to respond to those "words" as well (you stop crying when we sign "food" or "more" to you, acting as if you recognize what these words and signs represent).
• When frustrated, you sit real still, looks down, and makes a slow, low grunting noise. (I'm thinking you do this when you're tired now too.)
• You still like to wake up in the middle of the night for a midnight snack (usually between 1-3) and again at 5:00 for a quick snack before your real breakfast at 8:00
• Your face lights up when me and Daddy get home from work, you close your eyes, and let out an adorable squeal!

Ryan

• 13 lbs 1 oz
• You are an expert crawler now, but don't move around quite as much as your brother. You seem a little more thoughtful in your crawling - you have to really want something to go get it
• You aren't very interested in sitting up. Seemingly, you'd rather just stand and be able to walk already
• You are pulling up constantly: on the couch, crib, tables, anything at eye level
• You are beginning to make some sounds when talking to us: baba seems to be the sound you make most often. When you are very excited and very sleepy, you shout. It is this great, deep shout (not a cry, but a very adorable and different sound from your typical babble). You love to giggle too and are easy to make laugh.
• You crawl to us and put your hands on our face when you want to give and receive smooches. 
• When frustrated, you scrunch up your nose and breath really quickly and heavily. It is hysterical.
• You love to eat. And you don't really like having to wait for Wiley to be fed with you during cereal / food feedings. However, on the times when we have fed you alone and first, you did not like seeing Wiley get to eat alone either. In fact you crawled right over, begging to be fed, and ended up getting a second, mini dinner!

 

• You love your sleep! You sleep at least 11 hours every night and still take really solid naps (usually an hour and a half each)
• Your face lights up when me and Daddy get home from work and you crawl over to give and receive smooches!

Life sure is fun now that you are both so active. You keep us busy and moving all the time. It is exciting watching you explore and discover this big, new world all around you.

Our Last Day

"Time is a monster that cannot be reasoned with. It responds like a snail to our impatience, then it races like a gazelle when you can't catch a breath."

How has it already been nine months? Tomorrow I go back to work. But today I spent the day kissing you way too much, snuggling with you, playing, singing, reading, and just soaking it all in.

Extra snuggles in bed this morning

My favorite time of day - getting you up after your morning nap

It's official. You Wiley, are my child...you love your books. After reading two books, I had to change your brother's diaper. When I turned around, you had crawled to the bookshelf to pick out another. Making me even more proud, you picked a Christmas one!

After your afternoon nap we headed to the park. You still couldn't quite fit in a swing by yourself. So we problem solved...oh the beauty of having a twin!

Today (and the last nine months for that matter) went way too fast. I dread waking up tomorrow and starting this next chapter, but I know you will be in great hands with your Zsu Zsu. And trying to find the good in this, I do look forward to seeing your faces light up like this when I walk in the door each day...

 I love you my sweet boys and will miss our quiet days spent together.

Silly Boys: Our Last Days of Summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

August Already?

Today I did something I've been dreading...I flipped our kitchen calendar from July to August.

August!! How is it already August?!

This post comes from a place of so many different emotions. So before I get all boohoo-y, let's focus on the positive.

For the past nine months I have had the privilege of staying home with you boys. I have experienced all of your firsts to date. I have helped you to grow and develop. I have spent nearly every waking minute of your lives with you. And through these nine months, you boys have filled my life with more joy than I ever imagined possible. I truly have loved every minute with you - even those hectic ones that send me into a sweat when you are both screaming at the same time. Really. I have loved it all.

And so, as the new school year approaches I am so sad for the changes our family will soon experience. I just don't know how I'm going to get up each morning and leave you for the entire day. Monday I had a meeting with the other fourth grade teachers and left you boys for the longest time ever. I got home around 4:00 to find you both happily napping. Once awake, we spent the evening playing together. I checked the time at 6:00 and instantly began to cry (I had made it through the whole day without any tears, yet 6:00 triggered me). It was because I felt like I had just got home and yet in two hours it would already be bedtime. It made me realize this was soon going to be the normal - our time in the evenings just a blink.

As sad as I am to be returning to work, I know there is much to be thankful for. Had we not had the ups and downs when you were first born, I would not have had this long off in the first place. So, I'm thankful for our long nine months together. I am thankful that I'm returning to work with two perfectly healthy and happy little boys. I am thankful that when I go back to teaching you will be in the wonderful care of Zsu Zsu. Knowing you are in such great hands will make my return a little less painful. And lastly, if ever there were a job for a working mom to have, teaching is it. I will have plenty of days off throughout the year (plus I'm already doing my snow day dance!), summer's off, and great hours (my plan is to get to school at the crack of dawn, work my tail off, and be home by 3:30 each day. It'll be a challenge, but I have incredible motivation needing me at home!).

This is going to be an adjustment, I know. This is going to be painful and difficult at first, I know. So until I go back, I'm going to soak up these next two weeks and spend all my time loving on you boys (now wake up from your nap so we can play some more!).

Growing by Leaps and Bounds!

Last weekend you boys were sleeping an unusually odd amount of time. You would wake up, eat, and fifteen to twenty minutes later you were sleeping again. It seemed like you were truly awake for no more than 3 hours each day. This was our entire weekend. While awake, you were happy and playful and not acting sick. I was hoping maybe it was just a growth spurt. However, I did keep checking for signs of sickness and taking your temperature.

One week later, I'm going to say you boys just knew the big week you had ahead of you and were resting up!

You are both growing and changing so much. It makes me giddy watching all of these new milestones you continue to hit. I love watching your personalities continue to develop as well. This has been such a fun summer being home with you two. I plan on really soaking up these next two weeks with you before returning back to school.

What have we been up to?

Learning how to give smooches. I have caught you both adorably practicing on one another.

Spent the longest time away from me ever with Zsu Zsu because I had a meeting at school. While with Zsu Zsu, you decided you no longer needed to be fed a bottle and both fed yourselves the entire bottle! (Which was shocking to us all since you hate taking a bottle and probably hadn't even had one in over a month!)

 Playing in the grass for the first time. Yep. You hated it!

Standing with support and seems like you'll soon be pulling yourself up too