We made it to 6 months! Adam & Matthew are changing so fast, it is truly amazing. (In above picture, Adam is in front in the Moby Wrap, Matthew is on my side)
They:
- Find, reach for, grab and play with toys
- Sit up without asssistance for a good amount of time
- Push up on their hands, lifting their chest completely up (for long periods of time)
- Can entertain themselves for long periods (my personal favorite achievement, haha ;)
- Notice each other, smile & laugh at each other
- Laugh at the cats
- Pet the cats
- Are completely captivated by people and their surroundings. Even if they are nursing & dad comes into the room, they both immediately look at him & smile.
- Grab their toes & chew on them while on their back
- Flip from front to back easily. Matthew can flip back to front. I am pretty sure Adam can too, but I don't think he wants to ;)
- Are eating solids. I started them 8 days before their 6 month birthday. So far they are eating rice cereal, sweet potatoes, acorn squash and peas. They are also sipping water from a straw or a cup. (They aren't very good at the sippy cup yet)
- LOVE to stand and "walk" with us holding their hands
- No words yet, but hopefully soon!
- Take 2-3 naps a day. Naps are starting to become longer & further apart.
- Usually sleep from about 7/8pm - 6/7am, waking up only once to nurse.
- Weigh 14 lbs 9 oz (Adam) and 14 lbs 11.5 oz (Matthew). 5-10th %
- Are both 26 in. long. 25th %
They are starting to develop their own personalities.
Adam:
- More even tempered (Slower to smile, but also slower to bawl. Also has a softer cry.)
- More sensitive. Loud noises or people making strange faces can make him cry.
- Goes to sleep easier.
- "Coos" while crying
- Eats more solid food
- Less picky about his solid food, except it CANNOT be cold. The moment it gets cold, he rejects it. (But he gobbles down everything that is warm, including peas)
- Has a big heart. He likes/notices Matthew more than Matthew reciprocates the feelings :) (so far)
Matthew
- Easier to make laugh, but also gets more upset, and with a louder cry. He seems to experience a wide range of emotions (quickly)
- "Grunts" while crying. (We can now tell their cries apart on the monitor)
- Is "done" eating solid foods much faster than Adam
- Takes longer to go to sleep
- Sticks his fingers in my mouth while he nurses.
- Hates peas (so far)
- Smiles very easily. "Flirts" with all of the girls (really!)
I am so happy I made it to 6 months. So far, every month has gotten easier & more fun. I do still feel overwhelmed at times. And, I admit, I can feel jealous of my friends who have singleton babies. I am jealous they can hold their baby on his own, that they are much more mobile (stick him in a moby wrap and you're good to go), that they can breastfeed one baby at a time (easier to cuddle & bond, and easier to travel).
I was actually having a pity party for myself the morning my mom & I took my precious babies for a walk. After a while of walking, this is how we found them:
They looked so peaceful together, it made my heart happy :) I really really love that they have each other, that they have a built in playmate, that they share a room (so I worry less about them being lonely at night), and that they will (hopefully) be friends for life.
Last Sabbath, Alan wasn't feeling good & decided to stay home. I went to church anyway, but I had to hunt out people to help me with holding a baby. (They don't take good naps away from home, so they were grumpy). During church I saw a married couple holding hands during a song, while their baby played on the floor in front of them. For a split second, I felt a twinge of jealousy and thought, "I want that." Then of course I realized, I have that! (I was husband-less at that moment, but I do have a great marriage.. though sometimes strained from raising twin boys, we still will hold hands during a song service at church :P). That realization suddenly changed my whole outlook. I need to be focusing on my blessings, not on the negative.
