We introduced sippy cups today. Right now it's less about them actually drinking water and more about them getting used to the cup and what to do with it. They both seemed a little confused, but drank well out of it if we held it up for them. When we let go, Fischer held on to his pretty well but just chewed on the spout. He wasn't interested in what was inside. Addison didn't even try to hold hers and just got really mad and cried. I'm pretty sure she wanted me to stand there and hold it for her all day. I've given them back a couple times throughout the day and each time Fischer chews on it and Addison cries. I plan on giving it to them everyday just so they can get used to holding it. Here are a few pictures!





For lunch today we tried giving them the food that Scott made again. The first time we tried, it was a little thick for them. Today they ate it without hesitation! Yay!! So now he can get busy and make a lot more. We will probably still buy some but it will be nice to have the basic flavors in the freezer.

We've had a busy weekend, and the babies handled it very well. Friday, they went to stay at a friend's mom's house for part of the day (thanks Brenda!!) while I got a much needed break. I came home and relaxed after dropping them off, and only folded one load of laundry the whole time. They did pretty well for Brenda... Addison cried for awhile, but that's not really shocking since that's how she is a lot of the time anyway. :)

Saturday morning we packed up the car and headed to Camden to visit Jim and Dianne. Jim and Dianne hadn't seen the babies since they were a week old and still in the hospital, so they were very surprised by how different they were. We left right after the babies ate at noon so that they would take their normal nap in the car. They both slept almost the entire 2 hours. They loved all of the extra attention at their house yesterday and this morning. They didn't sleep the best in their peapods, and we are thinking we may have to start taking the pack 'n' play with us for Addison because she really had a hard time sleeping last night Hopefully they'll sleep good tonight since they'll be back in their own cribs.

We are planning on letting them try their sippy cups with some water today or tomorrow. Stay tuned for pictures of that! :)

The babies had their 6 month check up today. The doctor said they are doing great! We got a lot of information today because they are doing so many new things!

The doctor seems to think they'll both have teeth within a few weeks... I feel like they've been having teething symptoms for months now! She also said they are right where they need to be on the track to sitting up. We just need to keep helping them along! She also gave the ok to try sippy cups with water in them, and can give them the little snacks that dissolve instantly. This way they can start learning to put food in their mouths!

We also asked her about switching car seats because they are getting heavy in their infant carriers, and will only get heavier from here on out! She said that would be fine to go ahead and switch them. The other styles would stay in the car, but still face the back. We just have to wait until they can sit in highchairs better, because right now if we go out to eat, they sit in their car seats while we eat. So once they are a bit more stable in the highchairs, we'll make the switch!

We hope to slowly start switching Addison from her current formula ($26 a can!!) to the normal priced formula. She is on the hypoallergenic formula now, so switching will be a slow process. If we give her 5 oz. we will put 4 of her current formula and 1 of the new, and do that for awhile, then start adding more of the new formula, and so on until it's all new. This will take awhile, and she may not even keep it down. We'll see! I'm not sure when we'll start that transition though.

Also, we would like for the babies to not use their pacifiers anymore by the time they are 1. I think we use it more for our own sake than theirs now anyway. They like to pull them out of their mouths and play with them now, so hopefully weaning them won't be too big of a challenge. We may set our goal for 8 months and see how that goes.

I think that about covers most of the points we talked about today during our appointment. Here are their latest stats:

Addison:
Weight - 14 lb 3 oz (18th percentile)
Height - 25 1/2 inches (30th percentile)
Head 16 1/2 inches (26th percentile)

Fischer:
Weight - 13 lb 12 oz (1st percentile)
Height - 26 inches (23rd percentile)
Head - 17 inches (25th percentile)

As a mom of twins, I feel like a lot of my time is now spent as a referee. Now that Addison and Fischer are rolling, scooting, kicking, biting (teeth are coming SOON!), pulling, grabbing and squealing, I am having to watch them very closely because they do all of this to each other. If I'm not careful I find them on top of each other, pulling on each others ears and noses, or biting and sucking on each others hands and arms. I don't mind the biting and sucking now but once teeth come it'll probably be a different story! I've also found them turned completely around so one is kicking the other in the head and face. Sometimes they are squealing (happily but LOUDLY) in each others ears. Sometimes they get going so fast with their rolling, I think they are going to steam roll right over the other one! And they are fast - I can leave the room for just a second and they are in a different spot in a different position! I can only imagine how this will all be once crawling enters the picture. EEK! Needless to say, they are keeping me on my toes, and I'm having to stay very alert. Here are some pictures of them playing...

Addison and Fischer both did something new yesterday! Addison stuck her foot in her mouth (I'm so proud!)... she tried for a few days and finally did it last night. Fischer learned how to bounce by himself in the Baby Einstein jumper. He looked a little surprised and I'm not sure if he realized he was doing it himself, but he seemed to enjoy it. He was doing it more like he was walking rather than both feet at once. It was cute though!

Eating is still going well. In the past week, they've both tried butternut squash and seem to like it. We also gave them a sweet potato and chicken mixture, which they scarfed down in record time and probably would've eaten a lot more of it! We also got them to eat the turkey in turkey broth by mixing it in with some applesauce. I got that tip from a friend and it worked great.

Addison's sleeping habits are still a mystery to us, but we'll keep working on it. She is still getting up a few times a night, with an occasional good night (sleeping until 5 or 6 without waking up) thrown in there. Her napping is just as inconsistent - some days she sleeps for almost 2 hours and some days only about 45 minutes. Good thing she's happy and always smiling when we go in there to get her out of the crib, so that helps take away the frustation.:) Fischer still sleeps so well, and we are so thankful that we don't have 2 babies that have weird sleeping habits. I don't know how I'd handle that.

We go to the Dr. on Thursday, so I will update you after that!

Addison and Fischer are six months old today!! WOW!! So much has happened over the past six months, and it's amazing how much babies change in that amount of time. They've gone through 4 clothing and diapers sizes already, they've started eating solid foods, they take baths in the big bath tub now, they can sit in their bumbos, they laugh a lot, they grab everything, and much, much more! These are just a few of their many changes, and I know there are so many more to come. I thought I would be really emotional today, but I think I'm doing pretty well. Time just goes so fast and that takes me by surprise sometimes. I can guarantee you though that I WILL be an emotional mess on their first birthday. I guess I have 6 months to prepare myself for that. :)

They go Thursday for their 6 month check up and I'm very anxious to get their weights and heights! They are growing so fast, and they are still really good eaters...hopefully it stays that way. We have entered the territory of having to keep straight which one likes which food though. They like a lot of the same things but there are a few things that one likes and the other doesn't. Sometimes I think I need to make myself a chart, but I'm keeping it straight so far.

Here is a picture of them today, and one of them on the day we brought them home from the hospital (March 2). They have changed so much!

I've come to realize over the past six months that babies are like puzzles! For example, why did Addison tolerate fruit ok at first, but now seems to get a rash if she eats it too many days in a row? Why does she sleep ok in our bed but not as well in her crib? Why do they go from laughing to crying so quickly? Why do they like Baby Einstein videos one day but scream during them the next? Where are they trying to go when they try and twist out of their bumbos (while crying)? Why do they have days where they hardly spit up at all and others where it seems like that's all they do?

These are just a few of the unanswered questions I have about Addison and Fischer. I guess it would help if they could talk and explain some of these things to me. :) I suppose part of the fun of parenting is trying to figure all of this out. Just when you think you've figured something out, things change again.

Things are going well around here, despite the questions above. :) The babies are getting more and more interactive everyday and it's fun watching them play with the toys around them! They are both grabbing for things a lot now and are able to hold them pretty well. One of their favorite toys at the moment are these rings that link together so you can make a really long chain, or just hold one ring. They seems to really love those! They are also enjoying some of the smaller stuffed animals we have.

They are both really noticing Bo and Sassy more now. When the dogs walk by, you can see that the babies sort of reach out, trying to touch them. They've gotten ahold of some fur, but so far the dogs have handled that ok. I think Bo and Sassy are both still a little unsure about these little people that cry and make noise all the time. Just the other day, Addison was squealing/talking REALLY loudly (really high-pitched squeals too) and it was obvious that Bo was a bit annoyed by all the noise, but he kept sitting right beside her. I think over time, they will all be friends!

We had company this past weekend, and decided to make a trip to the Aquarium on Saturday. I wasn't sure how the babies would react...I really thought they'd sleep through the whole thing. I was very wrong!! They loved it!! They loved the big tanks with a lot of fish that would swim right past us. They also loved the tanks with the tiny, bright colored fish that would swim really fast. Fischer started squealing/yelling from excitement almost immediately, and Addison started to a little bit later. I think we could've sat there for a lot longer watching those fish and they would've been entertained the whole time! I tried to get Fischer squealing on video, but of course he stopped when I pulled out the camera. I definitely plan on taking them back now that I know they like it. I also want to plan a trip to the zoo in Columbia during the fall to see how they react to all the animals!

The picture below is Addison staring at the fish and Fischer is mid-squeal!

A year ago today was my first appointment/ultrasound after finding out I was pregnant. I knew about the pregnancy for 4 long weeks before the appointment, and couldn't wait to go and make sure everything was going how it should. I was so nervous, excited, anxious and happy! I got there and had some tests done, then it was ultrasound time! I was only 7 weeks pregnant, but I was already able to hear the heartbeat (you can't always hear it that early). It was such an awesome sound, and I couldn't believe I was staring at our baby up on the screen. I was watching him/her flicker around. I was told that he/she had a very healthy heartbeat, and by the measurements, my due date would be March 29, 2009. It finally all seemed very real and I was so relieved that everything was as it should be. Scott and I just smiled and kept staring at the screen. I think we were both a little sad when it was time for us to go - I think we could have listened to the heartbeat all day! After that appointment, we made a lot of phone calls and told all of our friends and family who didn't already know (only a few people knew before the appointment).

Little did we know that we would get the surprise of a lifetime just 4 weeks later. We spent the next four weeks planning for our ONE baby. We went and looked at furniture, carseats, and strollers. We talked about how we'd paint the nursery. We talked about traveling with a baby. We talked about so many things and how our lives would be so different with our baby. We had no idea that baby number two was hiding in there somewhere during that first ultrasound. Apparently he/she was completely lined up with the baby that did show up - this is obviously very rare. I have spent a lot of time looking at those ultrasound pictures searching for a second baby. He/she isn't there. I will always wonder which baby is in the pictures... was it Baby A (Addison) or Baby B (Fischer)?? If I had gone a few days later for my ultrasound, would the second baby have been visible? These are things I'll never know. I guess it all makes for an interesting story! We had no reason to suspect twins, so we didn't even think to ask. The only thing that was a little odd was that I was struggling to gain weight, and had in fact lost 5 pounds. The Doctor was a little concerned and told me to eat more calories but she certainly didn't even mention twins as losing a little weight in the first trimester sometimes happens. I now tell all my newly pregnant friends to make sure the ultrasound tech looks everywhere for a hiding baby. :)

Below are two pictures from the ultrasound. They showed up really small for some reason so it's hard to see but if you click on the picture it should show up larger. That way you can clearly see it's just one baby in the picture. :)

Addison and Fischer got a Baby Einstein Activity Jumper from their grandparents about three weeks ago. They got in it a couple of times but couldn't keep themselves propped up and didn't really seem interested in the activities. I decided to give it another try today and it was completely different. It's amazing what a couple of weeks can do! They both sat in it much better, and both really enjoyed the frog area. They even grabbed the pieces and moved them up and down!! They are both also grabbing any and every object that is in front of them. This includes "helping" us change diapers, use wipes, feed them, and much more. They are such big helpers.




A few other updates...Fischer didn't want to be outdone by Addison, and has now also discovered his toes and has been holding them up in the air to show me. I wonder if he saw her doing it and didn't want to feel left out?! Addison has been scooting everywhere. She gets her knees up under her and pushes and she can move around really well that way. I don't think it'll be long until she is up and crawling.

Every morning when the babies wake up, I check for teeth. No teeth yet but I really feel like they'll each have a tooth soon. They are both pulling at their gums, drooling gallons, eating a little less and seem to be a bit fussier. While it will be exciting when they do get teeth, I will miss their adorable toothless grins.

Pictures from our trip to NC

I'm not doing any captions, but here are a few pictures from our trip!

We just got back today from a trip to my parents house. We spent 5 days there, and had lots of family time. The babies got to spend time with their Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grandma, Uncle and Cousins! They loved it because they were pretty much being held the whole time. While we were there, they got to go swimming twice and they really seem to love the water, and didn't seem to be bothered by the heat at all. They also both discovered something new while we were gone. Addison discovered her toes, and wants to show them off to anyone who will look! Fischer discovered that he can "talk" really loud when he wants to. He's always been a loud crier, but he figured out that he can be just as loud with his other noises. It was pretty funny to watch!

They did pretty good on the car rides. It's a 5 hour drive, so we had to feed them along the way. On the way there we stopped at a McDonald's and let them roll around on a grassy area (on blankets, of course) before they had their bottles. On the way home today we stopped at a rest area so they could do the same thing. That seemed to work out very well. They both had some minor outbursts in the car, but nothing we couldn't handle! They just get tired of being strapped in, and who can blame them?!

When we got home today they got to try a new fruit! Prunes!! They both really seemed to like them, so they will have them again tomorrow and Thursday to make sure they don't react to them. Then they will get to try peaches. The oatmeal/veggie mixture at night is still working pretty well. While we were gone Addison woke up more than she had been, so it's hard to know if it was because she was somewhere different or if that's what she'll keep doing. I guess we'll find out tonight! She wakes up at 5 or 5:30 consistently though, but we can usually get her to go back to sleep until at least 7, usually 8.

That's about all from here. We are back to the real world now with just two sets of hands to do everything. It sure is nice having so many extra people around. :) I will post pictures soon!

Just a sample of what Addison does while watching Barney.

It finally happened!! Addison and Fischer BOTH slept ALL night last night. We fed them around 8:15, put them in bed around 8:45 and I woke up to Fischer talking in his crib this morning a little before 8. I had to wake Addison up at 8:30 to feed her. YAY! This is the first time in at least three weeks that they've both slept all night. Normally Addison wakes up several times, and lately Fischer has been joining in too. We aren't sure why last night was the night, but it could be a number of things: 1) They had a shot yesterday which usually makes them a little sleepy, 2) We gave them Tylenol because of the shot, or 3) We gave them some carrots mixed with oatmeal before their bottles. I am hoping it's because of #3 because we can continue to do that every night! So, we'll see if we have the same results tonight. Even if we don't, I feel so much more rested today just after one night of sleeping ALL night. I did wake up a couple of times thinking I heard crying, but was able to quickly go back to sleep when I realized it was quiet.

Addison is happily watching Barney and Friends (ugh!) right now, even squealing at the TV. Fischer watched a little bit but is now playing on the Baby Einstein mat. Lots of rest makes for happy babies too. Yay! :)

The babies had to go get a shot again this morning. We did get their updated weights though - Addison was 13 lb. 3 oz. and Fischer was 12 lb. 10 oz. She is slowly pulling away again. She eats one more ounce a day than him so I guess that could be part of why she weighs more, but she's always weighed more.

We started giving them 2 servings of fruits and vegetables on Sunday. We are going to play around with it some to figure out the best times of the day to do the food but soon I'm sure we'll be up to 3 servings anyway. I think tonight we may try to mix a vegetable in with some oatmeal to go with their bedtime bottles to see if it makes them sleep all night again. They've been waking up more and we aren't sure why, so we are trying everything we can think of to make them sleep longer again. Fischer normally sleeps all night, but Addison is up quite a bit. She went about 3 weeks sleeping through the night so we know she can do it!

They seem to be doing something new everyday. It's fun to watch them discover new things. Addison really seems like she wants to crawl - I think that may be in the near future. Over the weekend I put her on the boppy to support her chest and she was able to move her knees like she was crawling because something was supporting her. They are also staring at each other more and more, and smiling and talking to each other.

Here are some pictures from the last few days.

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