Fun in the Sun, in February?

We enjoyed a nice afternoon in the backyard. Greg just bought a baby swing so Ashlyn and Braden can join in now.

First Wagon Ride of the Season

Ashlyn and Braden got to ride in the wagon for the first time!

All over the place

If anything will get me back in shape, my son will. He is all over the place. I look down for one second and he is into something else. We have the bumbo out since P likes to put her babies in it. Braden decided today to climb in it. Also today, while I was changing Ashlyn, he got up on the fireplace hearth and was trying to get in the wood bin. He later was trying to get to the cords behind the TV. I hope I can keep this kid in one piece.

Peyton's Favorite Games

Here's what we have been playing every night in the recent weeks.

Big bad wolf - One of us is the big bad wolf (usually me) and the other two are the little pigs who hide in the Dora house. The wolf asks what the house is made of first and then says the lines. P then says the little pig lines. If the house is made of sticks the wolf can blow it in (lift it up). Cue the shrieks. Bricks, he can't (you get the picture). Peyton says "not by the hair of my chinny chin chin in the cutest voice and so fast I laugh every time.

Running around the couch. This has been a favorite for probably a year now but recently we have added the "tickle monster" who tries to get Peyton as she runs around the couch in the basement.

Trot trot to Boston - this is a song I learned in the Baby Massage class and did with the babies. Well, Peyton loves it too!

Also, almost every morning she puts all of her babies in her bed, covers them up and turns on the humidifier so they can take a nap. Sometimes she will read them stories. (Picture above). So sweet!

9 Month Checkup

For once we had a checkup scheduled a few days after the kids got sick, as opposed to before like it usually happens. Braden started with a runny nose last Friday. He started with a horrible cough on Sunday and a fever on Monday. Ashlyn started with a cold on Saturday. Braden looked horrible still when we went to the doctor but he checked out okay. Ashlyn, on the other hand, was wheezing. So, we gave her a breathing treatment in the office, which improved her breathing, so we were told to give them to her at home as well. Her big sister had the same thing when she was 10 months old.

Besides that, doc says they are looking great and we can start moving towards table food. So far we have given them carrots and potatoes from a stew I made this week (they gobbled them up) and cheese. Braden prefers the finger foods while Ashlyn still likes to be fed from a spoon.

We had to make their 12 month checkup appointment. I still can't believe that is less than 3 months away.

Here's how they measure up!

Ashlyn
Weight - 20 lbs 0.5 oz (75%)
Height - 28.25 inches (75%)
Head - 44.3 cm (50-75%)

Braden
Weight - 19 lbs 6 oz (35%)
Height - 28.75 inches (50-75%)
Head - 44.4 cm (25%)

Not happy faces

Ashlyn and Braden love their baths. As long as they are by themselves, apparently. We broke out the bigger tub and tried to put both of them in it at the same time. Almost immediately Ashlyn started screaming and then Braden did. So much for that! During the week I am the only one home to give the baths so I am still not brave enough to try to put them in the big bathtub. Too slippery.

Ashlyn and Braden are 9 Months Old!

Ashlyn is 9 Months Old!

Ashlyn has had an exciting month! She is now army crawling very quickly and trying to pull up on everything. She can make it to her feet with a little help. She talks up a storm and says "da da da da" and every once in a while "mahm-mahm-mahm". Her top gums have been swollen looking for weeks but nothing new has come through.

She nurses 3 times a day very quickly - she's usually done in about 5 minutes! She still loves her bottle before bedtime. She eats meals 3 times a day and is starting to get pretty good at eating her Cheerios. Definitely not as excited about them as her brother, though.

Braden is 9 Months Old!

Braden has had some big excitement this month! He has gone from rolling around to crawling on all fours. Just in the last week he learned how to pull himself up to his feet. He is very adventurous and realizes that there may be more to the house than the room we are in and now leaves us behind to go see. I now have to put him in the exersaucer when I nurse Ashlyn or else he'll either be pulling some daredevil stunt or off to the kitchen or living room. He's not such a big fan of the exersaucer anymore! He does love his jumperoos. He is starting to talk more and says "da da da" and "mahm-mahm-mahm" as well!

He is still nursing 3 times a day and takes a bottle before bed and eats three meals. He LOVES his Cheerios and yogurt melts. The past few days he hasn't been taking as much as normal so I'm wondering if they are getting ready to cut down a milk feeding. Still going to bed around 6 or 6:15 and waking around 5:30 / 5:45.

Peyton's First Haircut

I've been dreading the day that we do this since I didn't want to cut off Peyton's curls, but we decided it was time to get her hair trimmed. We talked it up pretty big and told her everything they would do and took her to one of the kid places yesterday afternoon. Well, there was an 1.5 hour wait so I was going to take her back after dinner. She didn't understand and kept saying that she wanted to get her hair cut. So, we kept looking in the Valley and came across Supercuts. We only had to wait a few minutes and she was very patient and just kept smiling. When they called her name she got up in the chair, let them put the smock on and just sat still. She looked so proud of herself and did everything the lady asked her to. It was blow-dried almost straight and she looked so grown up.

We're on the move!

Ashlyn and Braden have been getting around pretty well lately. This past week Ashlyn has been getting really good at the army crawl and has been getting up on her hands and knees to rock back and forth. Braden is now crawling on all fours. They both are trying to pull themselves up on everything. Braden can get up on his knees but not on his feet yet. Watch out!

Ashlyn holding her own bottle

Both babies can hold their own bottle but haven't been interested in feeding themselves yet. I give them both their bottles and the same time for their last feeding and they were squirming all over (we all sit up on the floor and I hold the bottles), so I laid Ashlyn down on the boppy and she drank her bottle all by herself. I should have thought about this sooner!