(Grocery) Shopping Chronicles

With two babies, you have to be creative in how you shop, if you are going to dare attempt it on your own ;) I think I have tried just about every way you can imagine to take both babies shopping.

• Both babies in cart (Only works for smaller trips... as you can see, not much room for groceries. Picture taken about a month ago):

• Both babies in stroller, momma carrying a shopping basket (Easiest to set up, but only for very short trips)
• One baby in Moby Wrap, one baby in top seat area of cart
• One baby in Moby Wrap, one baby in bottom area of cart (Still not a ton of room for groceries, but I feel like the car seat is more stable. Poor Adam is buried under groceries, but he doesn't mind. Picture taken today.):

I just had to snap pictures of these funny moments.

When I see moms with three (or more) kids, with some/all of them mobile, I just watch and wonder how they do it!!

Sitting Up

My sweet boys sitting up on their own this morning! Matthew on left, Adam on right.

6 Months

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.

Food, Food, Food

Today, just 8 days shy of their 6 month birthday, Adam & Matthew had their first solid food (whole grain rice cereal). They loved it!

I will admit, my goal was to exclusively breastfeed for a full 6 months. But, the boys were consistenty acting hungry after nursing. I felt I should either give formula or solid food, so rice cereal it was. They couldn't get the food fast enough, it was so funny!

I was excited they took to solids so well. So, I pureed some organic sweet potatoes for them, nixed it with water, and stored it in these nifty containers from Babies R Us for later:



The freezer is filling up fast with baby milk/food :)