Jul 20
Everyone,
Wow time is flying! The boys turned 15 months old this weekend. They are such big cute fun boys. We are so lucky to have them in our family!
We were able to go to the doctor’s office for their 15 month check up today. We took the whole crew (as I always do) and the nurses and doctors commented on everyone being there with me. Yep, we all come. Besides, Flower is a big help!
Pirate is doing great. He weighs 21 lbs 1 oz which is 2 pounds up from last visit. He is 31 and 3/4th inches long. One inch longer. Head is 18 1/2 inches around. He is tall and skinny, as always. He is also very curious. He had a few shy smiles for the doctor while she was poking and prodding him. He tried to grab all of the tools she used. He got 2 shots (HIB and Prevnar) and only whined a little bit at the second shot. Everyone cooed over him and his stoicism. He’s so cute!
He is standing on his own and taking a few steps. He really loves to be walked around and cries for your fingers whenever you walk by. He is also a champion whiner and has started to hit just a little. Mostly he hits Professor but I think he gets frustrated with Professor. And vice versa. He loves to scribble with pens and thinks the phone is totally amazing. He says, “uh-oh!” about 300 times a day. Our little “uh-oh” bird. He loves to eat pretty much anything and is starting to master using a fork. He favorite thing to eat is any kind of fruit. Boys does he love blueberries and raspberries and bananas. Yum!
He had his first haircut in Utah and boys does he look different without his big long forelock. He looks so much like a little boy. He loves to climb up and down stairs, standing up. He hangs from handrails as much as he can. The other day we went to the park and there was a small staircase with a kid sized hand rail. He climbed up and down that about 40 times, each time jumping up and down because he was so happy. That little happy kick and developed into a happy little jump and it’s completely adorable. He screams really loud. Butterfly gets him going and then he just ramps it up. His laugh is infectious, and he smiles and laughs because you do. He doesn’t want to miss out on the joke, even if he has no idea what’s going on.
Professor is my little lap bug. He loves to sit in your lap. If you are on the floor, your lap is his! He loves to be held, carried, or walked around. He has the most adorable little chirp when he sees something that interests. Especially if it’s a ball. He loves balls. And sticks, and dirt. And his binkie. He does the toddler squat all the time and stands in the middle of the room without any help. He started taking a few steps in Utah, and seriously started walking here. He took about 24 steps in a row yesterday and he is starting to prefer walking to any other mode of transportation.
He weighs 19 lbs 11 oz and is 31 inches long. He has completely dropped off his growth curve and is now into the 1% for weight. The doctor (who was not very good…she was very distracted!) says I’m supposed to feed him more high calorie food…but what that is I have no idea. He is just a mover! He is not supposed to be forward facing in his car seat and I got yelled at over that. Seriously, he is 5 oz away. He probably drinks more than that at a meal. So I’m not going to turn him back around. (My scale puts him at over 20 pounds with his clothes on. Since he’s not going to be riding in the car seat in his birthday suit (hopefully) I think we’re safe.) He is the only one of my kids that likes Pedia*sure so I guess that’s a good thing. He’s going to be getting that for awhile.
The doctor was concerned that he is not saying anything. Yes he chirps and babbles a little bit but no words are forming. He should say at least 2-3 things. He does say, “uh-oh” a lot but it often sounds muffled or from down a long tunnel. He doesn’t really respond to his name and you often have to tap him to get his attention. They are having me call First Start which is the county run physical therapists. They want him to be checked out for hearing and speech. I have yet to make the call but tomorrow that’s my goal. I honestly don’t think much will come from it but if there is a problem, then he’ll get help early.
I am seriously loving this stage of the boys. They are so curious about everything. They fight, they help, they make messes, they love their mommy, and sleep well. What a great time of life!
Safire
Safiremonthly stats, P and P
Apr 24
Everyone,
The boys turned 1 year old last Saturday. I just can’t believe it. The party was fun (more about that later) and I loved singing happy birthday twice…once for each. They smashed their cakes beautifully and the rest of us enjoyed sandwiches, cake, and chips.
On Monday they had their 1 year old doctor appointment with the evil MMR shot. I’m seriously going to delay that one for the next baby…it was awful. We had a nice doctor and my mom got to come with me and help undress and dress babies. She needs to come to every doctor visit because it’s SO much easier with another person.
Professor weighs 18 lbs, 8.5 oz and is 29 3/4ths inches long. He gained 2 lbs from last check up so at least he is growing! His head is 18 and 3/8ths around. He climbed all over the room and kept trying (and succeeding) to climb onto the shelf under the exam table. He has to be moving all the time. He is still trying to stand by himself, although he doesn’t stand for long. He learned how to climb onto the couch by himself while my parents were here and I find him sitting quite happily on it by himself. He also learned how to turn around and go down the stairs (thank you Cappy!) and now I don’t worry about him AS much on the stairs. His dimples have stayed (yay!) and I love making him giggle. He has such a deep chuckle and those impish dimples together are just too much sometimes.
He is serious about his food and especially about his Cherrios. He loves anything that he can eat himself. Bread with jam and butter is a particular favorite. He also loves his oatmeal in the morning, and macaroni and cheese for lunch. Bananas are always welcome, as well as avocados, pizza, noodles, sweet potatoes, anything really. 
He eats a lot as long as you don’t try to feed him. We went to our favorite ice cream place for the boys very first ice cream and he cried when he ate it because it was so cold. He can drink through a straw (yay!) so we get to start in on milk and juices. This past week with him being so sick has been unusual for me and he’s been serious about snuggling. He’s normally my sunshine boy, always so happy and shiny. He still has a love affair with his binky that I banish to his bed. Lately, he’s been going up to his room while we are all downstairs and getting it out of his bed if he can reach it. He still loves balls and shaking his head no. He gets his feelings hurt easily and gives me the cold shoulder when I have done something wrong. He loves to play pass the baby (back and forth between someone) and is my great explorer. His skin is always so dry and sensitive but nothing that some apricot/coconut oil doesn’t help. Besides, it makes him smell divine and I think he gets annoyed at me always sniffing his head. He has charm when he wants to, and still cries the loudest.
Pirate looks so much like a little boy these days. His jaw is still unhinged but his happy little kick is back sometimes. He has such an injured crying face when he is unhappy. His facial expressions really make me laugh. He said his first word on his first birthday! I was trying to put them up to bed for a nap so they would be happy for the party and Juice was holding Pirate. I held out my arms to him and he pushed my hands away and said clearly, “Daddy.” We both laughed and asked ourselves if that is what we heard. I held out my hands to him again and he pushed them away and said, “Daddy” again. Juice was glowing. Butterfly was a huge momma’s girl and to have the boys be interested in him makes him happy.
Pirate weighs 19 lbs, 1 oz and is 30 3/4ths inches long. His head is 18 1/4 inches around. He waves, dances, and points. He loves to push buttons. He also loves to give me things and have me give them back to him. I thought I heard him said “Out” the other day while we were standing by our storm door looking outside. He loves to eat and cries when it takes too long between spoonfuls. He has started to like to snuggle and will climb into my lap and put his head on my chest and suck his thumb. Just to be there. 
I love it. He babbles very softly, mostly trying out new sounds right after he nurses. We still call him Mr. Grabby because he grabs everything. Grocery shopping with him is entertaining because he is always grabbing at all the stuff on the shelves. We think he got Juice’s skin because it rarely gets irritated whereas Professor’s skin is always more sensitive.
We had friends over this weekend and they were asking who the baby was on my wall. I have a one year old picture of Butterfly up. My little fried said that she thought it was Pirate but wondered why I put him in a dress. Butterfly and Pirate look so similar. There is no doubt that those two are siblings. They remind me of each other.
Everyone said that the first year with twins was the hardest. I actually think we did pretty good. Of course, we had help for the first 5 months or so. It also could be that I’m not remembering those newborn days very well. No sleep, no time, but so much fun and love. We absolutely adore these boys. I can’t imagine our lives without them. I look forward to seeing what the next year is going to bring!
Safire
PS- Thanks to my friend Lolli who took these amazing pictures of the boys!
Safiremonthly stats, P and P birthday, P and P pictures
Mar 18
Everyone,
I just can’t believe that the boys will be a year old in one short month. I’ve been trying to get their birthday videos put together and they have changed so much! I feel like they are still babies in many ways, but big kids too. Like they are standing on the edge of babyhood and toddler hood already!
Pirate. 
What to say about Pirate. He is my sweet, happy, smiley, whiny, clingy, independent little man. He has the most amazing smile. We are constantly asking him if his jaw is unhinged because it is wide open about 10 hours a day. A few hours of amazed wonder, and a few hours of complete happiness. His teeth are big and his mouth is big and his smile is big to match the big happy feeling he has inside. He has decided that Mommy is best and only Mommy will do lately. He cries every time I move away from him. But he does his amazing smile when I come near him. I still feel like the whole house checks in with him. He and Butterfly have an amazing bond, and Professor frequently crawls on top of him just to be close. He has become serious about his food and cries when Professor takes too long to eat his bite. He does not want to be forgotten or left behind.
He is getting better at picking things up while eating. He has decided he does not like bread, only soft things. He loves anything noodle related or avocado related. He has started to click his tongue when he wants what you are having to ask you for some. He would nurse all day long if I let him and is calm when he’s eating. His happy little kick disappeared with the cast and it’s a little sad for me. But he can’t kick while he’s crawling or standing and he does that about 90% of the time. He is determined to catch up to Professor in both mischief and speed. He is so tall and when he pulls himself up on things, I wonder at his length. He just seems so long. Looking back at Butterfly’s 11 months, he’s not as tall as she was but he seems longer. He is super strong although he is very gentle. He loves the fridge and makes a bee line to it every time it’s open. He also loves to see what Butterfly is doing, loves her play food, and loves to take things out of the toy buckets and put them back in. The other day I tried to clean up the living room and gave up because everything I put in the bin he just took right out. He weighs 18.5 lbs (so I’d say the cast weighed about 4 lbs) and is about 28 1/2 inches long.
Professor is my monkey. Not only does he hold on so tight when you pick him up (you can almost let go and have him stay on…handy when I have to pick up both of them!) he is into everything! He has discovered balls and absolutely loves to chase them around the room. He chirps happily the whole time. Lately he thinks it’s funny when Soot plays fetch with us in the house. He tries very hard to chase down the ball with Soot and ends up giggling so hard when she passes him that he can’t crawl. He talks all day long, with his “adadadadad” and “huh? huh? uh!” The past few days he’s been holding his tongue funny in his mouth like he has something in there and I’ve been annoying him sweeping out his mouth to fish out any paper. But no paper. This evening, I took a good look in his mouth and his gums are horribly swollen where his molars will be. Can they be old enough for molars?!
He has started to stand for a few seconds on his own. He still falls pretty regularly and cries wholeheartedly when it happens. He never stops moving, even in his sleep. I hear him rolling and sighing and scooching over the monitor when he naps. He is forever fiddling with his hands or wiggling while I am nursing him. Much to my dismay and his brother’s. He has 8 teeth now and still has his tiny crescent moon shape in the back of his ear lobe the size of his infant nail. He had that when he was born and the doctors say it will never go away. Apparently he was jammed in my belly with his hand on his ear and his pinkie just made an impression. He has decided being fed from a spoon is for babies and absolutely refuses it. Unless he’s completely starving. Or it’s something he loves. Otherwise, forget it. He’s great at feeding himself though. He is just starting to figure out a sippy cup without a valve in it. He weighs 18.2 lbs, and is 27 1/2 inches long. They are starting to be the same size again! I’m so excited that he seems to be growing.
They are starting to chat between themselves and I hear lots of conversation and laughing during their “naps”. They are either great at naps, or not so great. They are content to entertain each other through the bars of their cribs so I let them play as long as they want to. They have started looking around for their brother while we nurse, and often won’t fall asleep completely if I only have one at a time. They pull each other’s hair, ears, poke out eyes, climb on top of and push over any baby in their way. When we get together with friends, this is startling to the other babies but they really just don’t see anything wrong with it. Together they are a force. Professor pulls everything out and hands it to Pirate to dismantle it if it can. They’ve pushed over Juice’s computer tower a few times and he is trying to figure out where to put it so they won’t get into it. (Their room was the computer room.) They don’t bother it as long as it’s not on with it’s cool blinking lights!
I put them together in a swing at the park today for the first time and they loved it. I put Pirate in first, and he was very unhappy until he was joined by his brother. Professor has taken to reaching over to Pirate in the car and patting him if he can manage it. They really do check in with each other and want them to be together. Now I know that won’t always be the case, but right now it is and I love it.
I can’t wait to see what they are like when they are a year old!
Safire
Safiremonthly stats, P and P
Feb 19
Everyone,
It’s hard to imagine that the boys are 10 months old! (I have to admit, my Mom was the one who reminded me they were 10 months old yesterday. I hadn’t even thought about it.) They are changing so much every day. They are looking like little boys more and more, and not little babies. They are trying hard to give up their morning nap which I am not liking. It’s too early for them to go to one nap! They really love to be together and playing with whatever the other one is playing with. Most of the time, Professor has a toy and is singing to it. He only sings when he’s really interested in something. That catches Pirate’s attention and he drags himself over to Professor. He tries to take the toy from Professor. After passing it back and forth for a few times, Pirate ends up with the toy and rolls away really fast for one in a cast. Professor is heart broken. He cries so loud and looks up at me all dejected. “He took my toy!” Pirate is happy playing with it. If I take it from Pirate and give it back to Professor, Pirate will just do the same thing within minutes. So mostly I either pick up Professor and take him to do some of my stuff with me, or I’ll take the toy away completely. Doesn’t really matter, they just do it again in a few minutes.
I love seeing their interaction though. It is so fun to have 2 babies at the same time! They really stick together and love playing together. Pirate doesn’t let his cast slow him down and he chases Professor around the house to be his partner in crime. Yesterday they discovered my pots and pans. I opened the cupboard to get one out, and Pirate saw me do it. He clumped over to the cupboard, opened it and started softly talking. Professor barreled in from the other room, climbed over Pirate (who never minds) and began pulling the pans from the cupboard. I gave them wooden spoons and they started making a racket. Butterfly joined in and made them mac and cheese and fed them. I love seeing them explore their world and find new things to play with.
Pirate is my sweet little boy. He is so easy going. Few things make him cry. Mostly only if he’s hungry, hurt, or I put him down. 
He has started to babble constantly, although it is very soft sometimes. He and I have long conversations of “ah ba!” “ah ba?” “ba ba!” “oh bo” “huh?” It’s very cute and we often end up in giggles. Which brings Butterfly over to see what we are laughing about. Boy does he love Butterfly. Those two have a bond that I don’t see with Professor and Butterfly. It’s like Pirate is our corner stone and we are all drawn to him. Because we all are. He has the best smile and great big front teeth that make it even better. He is ticklish. Having the cast on has made his belly even more ticklish. If you stick your fingers in there to rub (as I often do…don’t ask me why) he laughs.
This morning, I tried to weigh and measure him. Tried being the important word here. 
He did not like being weighed and Professor kept trying to pull himself up on the scale. I finally got a final weight though: 21 lbs 9 oz. Now the question is how much of that is cast and how much of that is Pirate? I suppose we’ll know next month. As for measuring, forget it. He kept rolling over to try and get the measuring tape so I didn’t get anything solid. Somewhere between 28 and 29 inches. His upper body strength is amazing. He can crawl almost as fast as Professor in his cast. His spine is supple. It bends as I’ve never seen a spine bend before. He can almost reach to the top of our couch while on his belly. He tries so hard to pull himself up on things and I see him getting frustrated with the cast. He still has his happy kick with one leg so I’m hopeful that will come back when the other leg is free. He is a champion nurser and will nurse all day long if I let him. He likes to eat solid foods, but is not really into it. Still. He does love bread. And he loves the spoon. But the food…eh. I have noticed that he does not really pick up the finger food we give him. He prefers to either pound it with his open hand, or try and eat it off the tray with his mouth. Something to keep an eye on. He is breaking his cast (again) and this time, I’m not caring. It comes off in 10 days.
Professor is Mr. Mischief. 
He is into EVERYTHING. If he sees it, he wants it. He crawls as fast as he can. Sometimes he puts his head down and just barrels his way over to me. He is my buddy. I can’t cook without his little hands slapping on the floor to get to me. He loves to watch things bubble and simmer. Luckily I perfected the one armed cooking with Butterfly. If I can’t pick him up, he will hang on my legs and cry, “Mamamama!” It’s cute but makes him really underfoot. There were about 3 days this month where he went on a nursing strike. It was SO frustrating to have him latch on only to unlatch a second later and cry. He loves his binkie so much that I ended up taking it away from him completely (even at bedtime) and the strike stopped. He’s back to nursing (although half hearted) and I’ve given his binkie back to him at naps and bedtime and in the car. As uninterested as he is in nursing, he is very interested in food. He loves to feed himself. When I give him Cheerios, he grabs whole handfuls of them and starts shoving them in as fast as he can making “mmmmm” sounds the whole time. He doesn’t like runny baby food anymore. He wants to chew! So I have to thicken up their dinner. I still get really frustrated with them and eating, but more so with Professor since he has discovered he can get the spoon close to his mouth and then hit it at the last second to send the food flying. Great fun, let me tell you.
He sat very happily in my scale this morning (sat up! No laying down for this big boy!) and he weighs 17 lbs, 7 oz. That’s about a pound up from last month at the doctor’s office. Their scale and mine are a bit different, though. Still, I’m happy to see that he is gaining some weight. I got an approximate measurement of 28 inches. Pirate tried to pull the measuring tape out from under Professor just as I was getting his heel stretched out to the number. 
He has the cutest shy little smile and dimples on the sides of his mouth. His eyes are startling blue and that’s what everyone comments on all the time. He has the sunniest personality and is extra cute while getting into trouble. He is cruising big time on everything, and wants to walk around while holding your hands. He has been sitting up on his knees really well so I imagine he will be standing alone soon. Anything Butterfly has he should have. He really runs her around. He chirps if he’s interested in something “huh” and has a very deep throaty giggle. He still sings to his toys and is very loud. Butterfly gets him going and the two of them together hurt my ears. He loves to clap (so adorable) and bang things together. He also likes to use Pirate’s cast as an obstacle course and climbs over him several times a day. He climbs through my kitchen chairs, over my legs, through my legs, and on top of any box he can find. Yesterday I found him on my coffee table. He had pulled Butterfly’s kitchen over, climbed on top of it, and then up onto the coffee table. He’s going to be one exciting toddler, isn’t he?
Only a few short months away from being 1! Any ideas about a birthday party for them?
Safire
Safiremonthly stats, P and P
Jan 19
Everyone,
The boys are 9 months old now and getting into everything. Their favorite no-nos are the dog’s food and water, Juice’s computer, our tv (yes, they pull up on our little tv stand and tap their little hands on the screen), and any little tiny thing they can find on the floor. I try and keep plenty of toys out for them to play with but they have a system. This system, while it is driving me a little batty, is also fairly predictable so at least I can anticipate their destructiveness. First thing in the morning they play for about 2 minutes and then come into the dining room to see what I am eating and beg off my plate. They love waffles and bananas. Once they had some food, it’s off to the dog bowls. Poor Soot…I’ve had to take her bowls off the floor when they are around. After the bowls, they try and chase after the dog. She runs outside and I take pity on her (and me, breakfast is never easy for me to eat anymore) and put them to bed as Butterfly watches a “show” so she will be quiet. (This is exercise, shower time for me.)
After their nap, I bring them downstairs and they both crawl over to the couch and pull themselves up. They terrorize Butterfly who has put toys up there that she doesn’t want them playing with. They either loose interest in her screeching or I move them to their dinosaur. That’s interesting for about 2 minutes, and they move on to our toy bins. They pull all the bottom ones out or find the puzzle pieces that Butterfly has tried to hide and chew on them for awhile. Most of the time this phase lasts the longest and they will be content there as long as Butterfly doesn’t take their toys. After the bins, it’s on to Juice’s computer. They love crawling under the desk, pulling up on the chair, and trying to stick their little fingers into little holes. Most of the time I can distract them by playing with one of their toys. But if not, they move on to the tv, then into the entry way with the shoes and scatter them all over. Then it’s back to the dog dish. Because I brought it back out for Soot during their nap and forgot to put it back up.
Together they really egg each other on. When one gets bored and moves away, the other follows. They want to play with the same toy, and be in the same place. It’s very cute.
Professor is my mama’s boy. He follows me around the house and wants to be involved in everything I do. If I leave, he cries the loudest. He is always the one that is checking in on me as he plays. He always crawls over to me to climb into my lap for a snuggle, or plays with my toes and ankles if I’m on the couch. 
The other day he bit my ankle pretty hard and we’ve been calling him our little ankle bitter ever since. He hates to be picked up by strangers, but will do okay if he doesn’t see me leave. He needs sleep the most and fights it the hardest. He is also so loud and babbles all day long. He crawls very fast and can cruise on the couch just a little bit. He is serious about his food but eats in tiny spurts throughout the day. He weighs 16 lbs, 7 oz which is only up a pound since our last doctor visit. He is in the 3% for weight. The doctor didn’t seem too concerned about it because they destroyed the exam room in short order. They opened the cabinets, pulled all the books off the shelves, tried out the trash can, ripped the exam paper to shreds and Professor alone went through at least 5 tongue depressors. He was also trying to talk over the doctor as we were talking about their development. The doctor stopped, said, “Well young man do you have any concerns?” and Professor chirped, “Huh? Mama?” and patted my shoulder. While the doctor was looking him over, he was screaming “mamamamamamama” and the doctor said, “At least he knows what he wants and can say it!” Professor is the more active of the two. He may be tiny, but he’s got some power. He is 28 inches long (50th) and his head is 17 3/4 inches (75th).
Pirate is my little sweet guy. And boy what a smiler and a laugher. He may not be as loud as Professor, but his babble sounds more like adult speech and he talks if you take time to listen to him. He’s a big talker in the mornings, but it dies out as the day goes on. 
He is crawling, although not as fast and furious as Professor. He still kind of hops around some days. And sometimes he crawls sideways. It’s like he’s trying out all different styles till he finds one he likes the best. He can pull himself up on things, but not very often. Probably because he still loves to kick his legs (think frog jumping leg kicks) when he gets excited. This he can’t do while standing and he’s taken a few tumbles trying it out. He does love to bounce though and Juice thinks it’s fun to chase Butterfly with him bouncing along the floor. Pirate thinks it’s pretty fun too. He loves his thumb but couldn’t suck on it for a few days because his top teeth were coming in and it was just too painful. Now that they are both in (finally!) he’s back to sucking just fine. He really loves to drum on things. I do have a little drum he uses, but he likes to drum on anything. The hardwood floor, the wall, the doors, hitting two toys together is the best it can get. He is 17 lbs, 4 oz which is up a pound and a half since last visit. He is in the 30th percentile for weight. He is also 29 1/4 inches long. He is so tall. I can’t remember what percentage that is. His head is also 17 3/4 inches.
I did move them into separate cribs this month because they just kept waking each other up. They still play with each other through the bars of the cribs and that’s fun to see. I almost always find them sleeping in the corners that are touching. They got 3 shots today (polio, flu #2 and Hep B) and also the TB skin test. (They put a tiny bit of fluid in their arms that has a reactor to TB in it…if they have it, they get a hard bump where the fluid is.) They have to look at their arms on Wednesday as a walk in check but still…it’s getting hard to get out with them all by myself and I’m not looking forward to this “small” jaunt.
We had our first real snow today and I took the boys out in it to walk around. 
Juice was surprised that I didn’t put them down in the snow to let them play with it but I’m not. Picking them both up, brushing them both off, getting them back into the carriers…what an ordeal! Nope, we let Butterfly do all the playing with her best friend Vinny. They both burned off some pent up energy. Yay!
Safire
PS- Better pictures later. We had one busy day today!
Safire2 boys-double trouble, life with twins, monthly stats, snow
Nov 21
Everyone,
The boys turned 7 months old on Tuesday. 7 MONTHS! Wow time really does fly. I think I hit the twin jackpot because they are just easy going happy boys. 
(Now that I’ve said that, things will change.) They play really well on the floor and with others. Butterfly is a great entertainer and they think she is the most wonderful thing besides Mommy. They will even not eat if she is in the room because they insist on watching her. Makes for interesting times at our house. They are starting to really notice each other and I hear them chatting to each other in their crib in the morning. Yes, they are still sleeping together in the same crib. I do have 2 cribs, both up even. But I find they sleep a little better with the other there. On the down side, they do wake each other up at night. Mostly I think it’s Pirate waking Professor up who then cries. I go get Professor because I hear him and then Pirate cries like I’ve taken his best friend away. They are both getting up at night lately. I think they must be growing. They down at 5:30pm these days, up at 11pm, up at 3am, up at 5am and then up at 7am to start the day. And really, those moments of them being up is about 6 or 7 minutes and back down. I have been feeding them but not feeding them as long as they want at night. Occasionally they will skip one or all of the feedings depending on their sleep during the day.
Pirate is my happy happy boy. He still laughs all the time, but has been a little more serious these past few days. I think he’s getting a little bit of separation anxiety because he cries whenever we leave the room. He still does not sit up. Nor does he have any interest in it. He is up on his hands and knees a lot rocking furiously. Most of the time he is also crying when he rocks. He so wants to be able to move! He does scoot back and back himself into corners or away from toys. He still does the superman move which is very cute. The only thing touching the floor is his belly and his arms and legs move furiously. I keep trying to get a video of this but my movies are chaos. Kind of like life right now.
He weighs 17.5 lbs and is 27.5 inches long. This is according to my scale and tape measure since no doctor visit this month. I really feel like he grew all of a sudden this month. He seems a lot bigger than Professor. His eyes are also going through some drastic change in color. They used to be a blue with a brown ring near the pupil. Now, the brown is spreading out through the rest of the eye. He will have brown eyes like Butterfly and Juice. His hair also grows straight down like Butterfly’s did. Butterfly and Pirate have the same coloring. I imagine they will grow up looking quite similar. He is my little thumb sucker and it’s just so cute! He has a major fascination with Professor’s binkie and swipes it all the time.
Professor is a mama’s boy. He does not like to be very far away from me. Since he is moving, he always moves in my direction. He still leans in my direction whenever someone else is holding him. And when I hold him, he hooks his arm around mine and holds onto my shirt for dear life. Like I said, he is a mover. He has the rolling around the floor thing down pat. He can get wherever he wants to by rolling. He also does the army crawl thing. Elbow, elbow, hip in the air with leg flung forward, drag other leg up. It’s still very early in his crawling and he gets tired and frustrated more often than not but he does do it.
He is 16.7 lbs and is 26 inches long. With my tape measure. And all of his clothes on too. 
He has 2 teeth on the bottom and bright blue eyes. When we give him a bath, he just looks so bright after. His hair is that bright shiny blond. And he’s got a serious cowlick that makes his hair go over to one side. He has discovered his tongue and it’s almost constantly out of his mouth lately. He is pretty emotional and cries/talks/moans/screams more often than Pirate. He is fascinated with paper and cups. He really really wants a drink out of any cup you put near him. He also is in love with food. I have given them little bits of bread to gnaw on during dinner and he cries big sobbing tears whenever his bread is gone.
Cute cute boys!
Safire
PS- We got our first snow today! It fell but nothing stuck.
PPS- Still no other signs of mice. Hmm…maybe a fluke? Maybe they moved next door? Maybe word got around that Soot is a mighty mouse killer and they don’t come over anymore? Please let one of these be the case. I’m sick of tiptoeing around the house.
Safiremonthly stats, NaBloPoMo, P and P stats, pests and critters
Oct 20
Everyone,
Really? The boys are a whole half a year? Wow. I just can’t believe that we are now closer to their first birthday than their actual birth day. I tried to take their 6 month old shots today but they turned out pretty bad. The light was low and they were moving. Laura, help! I did get a few choice ones. Like this.
Maybe I should do pictures before bedtime. And then there is this one.
Every time I pointed the camera at Pirate, he grabbed for it. So almost every shot of him has his blurred hands in front of his face. I did manage to get a few cute ones. And here’s an update on their stats.
What cute boys we have! They are so happy. Easy going. I guess they have to be with 2 other kids in the house, one of whom is the exact same age (plus or minus 6 minutes). They are on a good sleeping schedule, which helps me actually get through the day. They also go to bed around 6pm, are up only once or twice, and are up for the day around 7:30am. They also have a cute puppy. They have just gotten interested in her and Pirate especially will laugh when she walks past. Of course, he laughs at pretty much anything so I don’t know how good of an indicator that is. You decide. They have discovered toys this past month or so. Juice pulled all of our infant toys from the attic the other day and now our house is covered in them. Who knew that they would also be entertainment for the 3 year old as well? She thinks up these elaborate games with them. They are drowning in the pool and someone has to save them. They can’t find their parents and are on a quest to search for them. They are in the jungle and need to get home. The boys so far just bat, grab, mash, maul their toys. You know, play with them like they are supposed to be played with.
Professor continues to be my little sweetheart. If someone else is holding him, he will lean in my direction. Not lunge, just lean slow and steady. If he is unhappy and sees me not holding him, he flings back his head and arms and shuts his eyes and cries red faced. This instantly stops as soon as I pick him up and he almost always wants to eat at that time. He is a comfort nurser. He is just starting to be wary of strangers. He recognizes Juice and gives him huge smiles when he comes home from work. 
On Friday the 17th (day before they were 6 months old), he weighed 15 lbs, 1.5 oz and was 26.5 inches long. His head was 17 inches. This puts him solidly in the 50th percentile for height and weight. He gained exactly 2 lbs which I find interesting. They got 4 shots plus a oral vaccine on Friday. Poor kids. He also has one tooth (the bottom left) all the way through and the bottom right one just barely coming up. He still does not sit up on his own, but has been on his elbows and knees a lot. I have found him on his hands and knees a handful of times. He tries to move his legs when he is up and ends up belly flopping. He rolls like a mad man and prefers to be on his belly. He is still the loud one and chats on long car rides. Or any car rides for that matter. He loves his binkie. You can tell he is smiling because of his really really cute dimples that appear around his binkie. And you can tell he’s really happy when he smiles so big his binkie falls out of his mouth. He still wakes up at night to eat (Pirate does not) but I don’t mind it too much. I feel like it’s our little special alone time and he is just so sweet.
Pirate laughs. He laughs when you pick him up. He laughs when you change his diaper. He laughed at Juice when he shaved his goatee down to a mustache for the Ren Faire. (Juice says to be concise Pirate did a double take and then BELLY laughed when saw that Juice had shaved.) He laughs when you take him out of the car in his car seat. He has this enormous Muppet smile to go along with the laughing. He also opens his eyes really big when he sees something that interests him. His focus and concentration are amazing! He is not easily distracted when he decides he wants something.
On the 17th, he was 15 lbs, 15 oz. Up exactly 2 lbs from last check up. Guess they are getting the same amount of food, huh? His head is also 17 inches around. And he is a whopping 27 and 3/4 inches long. Which means he grew almost 3 inches from his last check. The nurse measured him three times because it’s a huge jump for him. (From the 25th percentile to the 80th.) Already he is growing out of the length in the 6-9 month old clothes, but the 12 month old clothes swamp him. Sounds like he got my dad’s long torso and our long legs. He is long and skinny already! He doesn’t have any teeth, and he really does not sit up on his own. He prefers to be on his belly doing the superman rock. He lifts arms and legs off the ground and kicks his legs to rock forward on his belly. He can push himself up straight armed and often travels backwards this way. He hates it but can’t figure out how to change it. He reaches for EVERYTHING. (See above picture.) He is fascinated by food and we will be starting them both on solids soon.
Safire
Safiremonthly stats, P and P stats
Sep 20
Everyone,
The boys turned 5 months old on Thursday. I can’t believe they are getting to be so big! The pregnancy and the worry and the boredom has all pretty much faded away. The boys and Butterfly fill my life up so completely there’s not much room for anything else. Juice was asking me what I wanted for my birthday the other day and I couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t kid related. He apparently thought of something else and it should arrive in 5-10 business days. I’ll let you know when it does.
Back to the boys. Remember the cute pictures I got when they were 4 months old? No? Probably because I didn’t post them until a few days ago. (Distracted Mommy, what can I say.) The link is here. And I’ll pause to let you go read that. I’ll go feed Pirate and we’ll meet back here in say, 15. Okay? Good.
Well, it is more than 2 hours later. Thank you for waiting while I had a nap too. 
Let’s get on with it, shall we?
Pirate has discovered toys! He get bored easily and cries if he’s left alone. He is working on mastering the grab and pull to mouth thing that all babies do. He gets it about 80% of the time. I also see the beginnings of a pincher grasp starting up.
When he rolls on his belly, he is no longer content to just look around. He is pushing himself up with straight arms or scooting himself up onto his knees (no arms involved). I get the feeling it won’t be long until he’s mobile! He is easy to smile, and even easier to make laugh. He holds his mouth wide open and his whole face lights up when he sees me. It’s so cute. He is looking more and more like Butterfly these days. I noticed just today that his eyelashes seem to have darkened and thickened so he may have gotten Jeff’s super awesome lashes. He’s sorry but I’m not. I love them. He weighs 15 lbs, 7 oz and is 25 and a half inches long by my calculations. He is still in 3-6 month old clothes but I put a long sleeve/long pant outfit on him today that was 6-9 months and it fits perfectly. He sleeps through the night (typically from about 7:30-6am) but getting him to go to sleep is a chore. I get him all settled, all asleep in his bassinet (yes, still sleeping in my room) and about 10 minutes later, he wakes up inconsolable. Juice has been in there patting and rocking back to sleep for 30 minutes or more because I won’t nurse him back down. But once he’s down after he cries, he’s down for good.
Professor is so easy going these days. We’ve been calling him the velociraptor lately because he has this cry and growl together that sounds like a very angry animal. 
Mostly it’s when he has lost his pacifier. Every time he is on the floor he flips himself on to his belly and stays there most of the time. He can roll from his back to his front and front to back any time he wants but he’s been on his belly by choice. Last night I even caught him sleeping on his belly with his bottom in the air. So cute! He can get himself up on his knees very easily. He’s interested in toys but they are quickly discarded for his binkie. He loves to ‘talk’ and babbles to whatever he’s looking at if he’s in a good mood. He has the sweetest smile with a distinguished dimple and a deep slow chuckle. He’s hard to get to laugh but it’s very cute when it happens. He is eating a little more regularly now that we are home and I think he is gaining a few ounces. He weighs 14 lbs, 7 oz on my scale and is 26 inches long. I put him in a little footed outfit today and his feet barely fit in them. He looks a little lost in the 6-9 month old clothes unless they are long. The 3-6 month old long outfits are starting to look short. He is up at least 3 times in the night to eat. He is sleeping on his belly full time and seems to be helping some. He is easy to get to sleep but still seems to need those nightly feedings. And since he is small, I let him eat.
As twins they are starting to interact with each other. They love to lay next to each other and will hold hands or try to eat each other’s hands. They discovered each other’s feet before their own.
(Meaning they will stare or try and grab feet when they are close but are just now starting to hold their own feet.) They do smile at each other sometimes. They sleep through each other screaming. They even sleep through Butterfly screaming so I have no idea why they wake up when I say something in a whisper in the room. I am going to move them into their own room as soon as I get all of their bedding washed. Well, Pirate anyway. I think I may keep Professor with me for awhile until he stops waking up so much at night. I am excited to move some furniture around and get every situated in their own rooms.
Safire
Safiremonthly stats, P and P stats
Aug 21
Everyone,
The boys are 4 months old! Wow! They are growing and changing every day. They are starting to notice each other and will give each other big smiles when they are both in the mood. They also love to be near each other and frequently ‘check in’ with each other as they roll around on the floor. Yes, they are rolling! Not very far and not too fast but they are rolling as much as I expected them to. They just did their first plane ride a few days ago and passed it with flying colors. They are well traveled little boys and are easy to take places as long as they are fed promptly and mommy is around. They both have a very easy going sweet nature and together make a fun set of twins.
Pirate is my big boy. He loves to eat and will eat all day long if I let him. (No weights or heights as we are in Utah.) He is ticklish and laughs when you bounce him up and down. He is easy to laugh, even easier to smile and is very happy go lucky. He sleeps through the night (most nights). He has a longer torso than Professor so I find that a lot of clothes that Professor fits in, Pirate does not. It looks like his hair is going to be brown as well as his eyes (like Daddy and Butterfly). Butterfly must have him sit next to her in the car (no ideas why). He does not take a binky but seems to have found his thumb in the past few days. He rolls onto his stomach all the time but I don’t think I’ve seen him roll to his back. I frequently have to go save him from evil belly time.
Professor is my snuggle baby. Boy does he love to be held and held and held. He also tucks so nicely into the crook of your arm. It’s easy to hold him. He is my binky baby and loves that thing. I worry sometimes about later when I’ll have to take it away from him but I’m trying not to think about it. Another thing with the binky, is that he only eats as much as he has to. He is not a comfort nurser and would perfer the binky for that. Which is probably why he weighs close to a pound less than his brother. But he’s happy with clear bright blue eyes and a huge face splitting grin. It looks like he has the dimple that Butterfly has but it’s shallower (maybe his cheeks aren’t as chubby). He has bright blond hair that swoops nicely to the right already. Thank you daddy for that hair line. He can roll front to back and is already trying to get up on his knees on his belly.
And a cute picture of Butterfly to leave you with!
Safire
Safiremonthly stats, P and P, P and P stats
