Grandmom's Finally Here!

We've been looking forward to my mom visiting ever since she left when Caroline and Ellie were 10 weeks old.  The girls are loving the visit because they have immediately been able to cash in on the extra cuddle time that they don't normally get when it's just me!  Mom is here for the next 2 weeks, and it's already been a dream.  I have a feeling these weeks are going to fly by!

Mom holding Ellie.  Ellie sat in this carrier for hours and didn't make a peep.  She was in heaven.

Here are some pictures when Mom was here last time.  A lot has changed in 3-1/2 months!

Holding Ellie

Holding Caroline

With Ellie

Our New Cuddle Time

I have recently discovered the wonders of the Baby Bjorn and I am loving the cuddle time as we do errands or leaving the house for any reason.  Blake is still convinced that the Baby Bjorn would question his man-hood so he still feels like its better to hold a baby while trying to eat a burrito at Chipotle.  I, on the other hand, am happy to eat my tacos with two free hands while I have a baby comfortably sleeping or just hanging out on my chest.  Despite my efforts to try to convince Blake to try it, he's still holding out.  One of these days, I'll sell him on it!  For now, though, I'll just enjoy the sweet cuddle time with my girls.

Holding a sleeping Caroline

Family Photo

Holly gave me these dresses last summer for the girls, and I'm so thrilled they can finally start to wear them!  Caroline and Ellie looked so cute that we just had to get an updated family photo!  

Allison holding Ellie and Blake with Caroline

Thank you, Holly, for the dresses!  We love them, and the girls are completely occupied with endless amount of chewing and drooling they can do on their poofy outfits!  

So, Exactly How Do You Feed 2 Babies?

I get this question all the time.  Everyone is so curious how this works, and if I'm just nursing all day long feeding them one at a time.

Thanks to Teri Thompson, we have discovered this magical nursing pillow for twins made by "My Brest Friend".  [Insert endless amount of jokes here!]  When we pull out this pillow, Caroline and Ellie go absolutely crazy with arms/legs flailing, and they will not take their eyes off of it until they can start eating.

I feed the girls 4-5 times/day right now depending on how they sleep.  After they finish eating, I burp one girl at a time (sometimes both in a crisis) and lay her on the couch on my right side while she waits for her sister to be done.  It sometimes gets a little crazy, but it works and everyone's happy.

A New Workout Routine

Caroline and Ellie have perfected their rolling abilities from their tummies to their backs, and there is no stopping it.  As cute as it is, it makes naps a lot more difficult and I have had to adjust to a whole new routine.  I was used to (and really liked!) the way they had been since birth where you put them in their bed, and they immediately go to sleep.  Those were the good 'ole days.

Now that the girls are more aware and require less and less sleep during the day, they have designed a new workout routine for me.  Routine is as follows:  Carry both girls upstairs, put each in bed on their tummies; flip them back on their tummies about 3 times before giving up and just closing the bedroom door walking downstairs; take 3 minutes and put in a load of laundry, go back upstairs and flip one girl over; go back downstairs; go back upstairs and flip the other one over.  Repeat 50 times until the screaming has become totally synchronized and exhausting.  Get them both out of bed, carry them both downstairs and pace throughout the house bouncing one in each arm to try to get them to calm down.

Repeat entire routine for the next 30 minutes until they both fall asleep.

Playing with Toys...and Liking it!

These past 2 weeks have been exhausting for me with the girls teething.  Ellie has 2 teeth that have broken her gums and Caroline looks like she might have a tooth poking through any day.

Ellie with her two teeth poking through her lower gums

Another thing that's changing fast around here is the girls ability to play with a couple toys and enjoy it.  They still have a difficult time holding things, but they are starting to try.  Thank you, Catherine for the adorable and totally captivating toys!  The girls love them.

Ellie sat in her bumbo most of the time gently chewing and slobbering while she watched Caroline attack the toys as if she hadn't eaten in a week.

Caroline

Ellie

Ellie

Caroline

Ellie

Caroline a little unsure of the exersaucer and only lasted a couple minutes

Caroline

Rockin the Playmat

It's amazing how we can see Caroline and Ellie changing and growing just in how they play on their playmat.  They definitely can teach these dangly toys a lesson with the batting at chewing.

Caroline left and Ellie right

Caroline

Ellie

Supervision at its Cutest

For the past couple weekends, we've been working on our last remodel project for the house.  We've been working on our house moving from room to room every since we moved in - it will be 2 years in July.  We're currently finishing up our laundry room and half bath, and after that, we're done with all of our planned construction for the house.  We're excited and can't believe we actually accomplished everything on our list!

Caroline and Ellie are quite the little supervisors and have done really well hanging out in their swings or napping with the nail gun going off and all the noisy saws.

I picture this bathroom being the one that the girls will potty train in eventually.  We're putting the final touches on everything this week.

Caroline

Ellie

Daddy's home!

We ended the week last Friday afternoon with me counting down the minutes until Blake came home from work and would spend 2 whole days with me helping me with our girls.  I couldn't wait.

This is what Blake came home to on Friday.  The girls were so worked up, couldn't sleep and wanted to be held.  Both of them are thumb suckers, but this week, they've been taking their pacifiers.  This is pretty much what our entire week looked like during the girls waking hours.

Ellie looking at the camera.  Both girls are happy and cooing as long as they're held!

Caroline and Ellie always recognize Blake when he comes home and get excited.  It's really precious!

Caroline looking up at Blake.  Melts my heart!

Leaving their Mark

Yesterday, I took the girls in the morning to go look at a townhome that my brother, Rick, is looking to buy.  I got the girls fed, dressed and packed in the car for a morning nap in their carseats while we headed in town.  They did great.  When we got there, they both immediately wanted to be held, and so we walked around the townhome looking in every nook and cranny while I held Caroline and Rick graciously held Ellie.  We loved the property and Rick ended up putting an offer on it that morning.

I'm especially loving the 2nd bedroom and bathroom that the twins will be able to stay in when they spend the night at Uncle Rick's house!

Caroline and Ellie both left their mark by having major diaper blowouts.  Ellie got hers all over Rick's sleeve on his nicely starched work shirt that he didn't have time to change since he had to go straight back to work.  Bleh.

Thank goodness for extra wipes and plastic bags in the car.  Caroline had to also be changed, and after about 80 wipes, she was good to go.  I had to disrobe Ellie down to just her diaper while trying to keep my gag reflux under control.  Her socks and vest didn't completely make it unscathed, but for a cold day like this, it was good enough for a ride home.  This picture just says it all!

Ellie

Changing Caroline in the front seat was making me realize how much these girls have grown.  Below are some pics comparing them from now to about 4 months ago.

Caroline at 5-1/2 months old

Caroline at 6-1/2 weeks old

Thankful for New Days

Our fussy days are continuing, and yesterday was a total nightmare.  Both girls let me have it all day long, but I guess I'm due for an exasperating day every once in awhile.  We do have twins [I have to tell myself]...it happens.

I tell everyone that Caroline and Ellie feel like easy babies to me.  They're [usually] great sleepers and are [usually] on the same schedule.  What more could I ask for?  Yesterday, though, I took it all back.

Today is going much better.  I'm thankful for a new day.

Thanks to Great Grandma Winnie for the little dolls - they are the perfect size for their little hands and the girls love them!

Caroline

Ellie

Ellie

Caroline

Caroline

Ellie

Ellie on left and Caroline on right

Getting through this week

Ellie's tooth is poking through and Caroline, although showing signs of teething, hasn't yet shown any of her pearly whites.  Ellie is having a hard time and was unconsolable in the middle of the night, which makes me wonder if she's got another tooth.

I feel like we're just powering through this week.  I haven't really wanted to venture out with the girls being as fussy as they are.  It's been nice to be at home for them to take all their naps in their beds.

Ellie

Caroline

Ellie

Caroline (L) & Ellie (R)