The Newest Interest

There has been a basket of baby books in the girls room which Caroline and Ellie have only recently discovered them, and they are hooked!

They don't really enjoy me reading to them yet, but the activity of shuffling books around and taking them in and out of the basket is completely captivating.

I'm amazed of how much more the girls are interacting with each other.  It's still sporadic, but I'm seeing them laugh at each other and pay attention to what the other one is doing.  

They're also in this stage where they want what the other one is currently holding.  They both try to take from the other, but they both can also be very productive of their 'belongings.'

Ellie being protective of her book that Caroline is eyeing

Caroline

Ellie

Caroline

Ellie

The Time has Come...

...to lower those crib mattresses.  The girls started pulling up and having a great time looking over the top at each other while beating on the top of their cribs.  As cute as it is watching all this going on through the monitor we have downstairs, it was just time to make the step.

Ellie in front, Caroline in back

One of the things that naturally happen with twins, is that we have a "system" for everything.  Getting the girls out of bed and putting them both in bed is definitely one of my little systems.  With their mattresses high, getting them both in and out of bed was something that I learned to master over time.

Caroline

I'll just have to come up with a new way of doing it.  With the mattress high, I could lean in, and scoop them both up without dropping them.  With a much longer reach for me now, it's not as easy to get the girls.  I'm sure this will be the story for the rest of our lives....learning to adjust as the girls grow older.

Breckenridge Summer Vacation

We spent the 4th of July week in Breckenridge, Colorado with my family.  It was a great vacation!

My cousin, Caroline (whom we named our little Caroline after) got married and it was a family reunion of sorts with all my Aunts, Uncles and [almost all] cousins on my Mother's side.  It was a wonderful week, a beautiful wedding and really wonderful time with my family.  The only bad part was that it ended and we had to all go home.

View from the house we rented

Caroline and Ellie were troopers the whole week.  They stayed up late and woke up early every morning.  They were great meeting all the family and let just about everyone hold them.  

Ellie on the left

The town of Breckenridge was so charming and we spent a lot of time walking around the town with the girls.  We left our big double stroller at home and just used 2 umbrella strollers for the girls, and they LOVED being wheeled around in those!

There was a really cute 4th of July parade down the main street of Breckenridge.  It was sunny, warm (but not hot), dry, and just about a perfect summer day.  It was packed.  The girls napped in their strollers/Baby Bjorns and enjoyed all the chaos going on around them.  

The hats were a life saver.  Poor Caroline got sunburned on her face the first day we were there due to the sun streaming in through the car window while we were on a drive.

We were limited on what we could do with the girls, but we did manage to go on a nice hike one day and Blake was able to go mountain biking with my family, which was a highlight for him.

The wedding was so nice and a great time spent with my Mom's whole family.  The setting couldn't have been prettier.

My mom's extended family

Cousin William keeping the girls entertained

A set of twins representing all 3 generations that were at the wedding.  Did I mention that twins run in the family??

My mom and her siblings.  

The oldest of the cousins.  With Caroline and Catherine

It was such an enjoyable way to end our fabulous week in Breckenridge.  Congratulations Caroline and Greg on your marriage!

Bath time graduates

Caroline and Ellie have graduated from the upstairs tub to the one in our bedroom.  We just started this 2 weeks ago and it's great.  It's a lot deeper then the one we normally use which keeps a lot more water contained in the tub, and it also has a grip surface that makes it so much easier for the girls to play and sit without always falling.  They LOVE it!

Caroline on left and Ellie on right

Both girls go nutso when we even walk them near our bathroom.  It's the only time they are every in there and they know what's coming!  

Sometimes that last 45 minutes before bedtime are difficult as they're getting tired, so the bath is always our go-to solution, whether they need it or not.  

So Many Changes

Our summer has been flying by.  We just said goodbye to my parents this morning after a 3 week visit that felt more like 3 days, and as always, it was sad to see them go.

Caroline and Ellie have definitely not suffered from lack of attention and love this summer.  After spending 3 weeks in Bakersfield at the beginning of the summer with Yiggie and Pa and now having a 3 week visit from Grandmom and Grandpop, these girls are going to be disappointed when they realize that it's just me to provide the entertainment during the day!

The girls have changed so much during the time my parents were here.  Both girls started sitting up on their own and Caroline started crawling.

Caroline

Both girls have their 4 top teeth that have completely come through since my parents arrived at the end of June.

Ellie has taken a step or two, but she continues to be more interested to sit in someone's lap and play instead of taking off on her own...for now anyway.

Ellie

The girls will be 9 months old tomorrow.  I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how we have already arrived at this stage where C&E are highly interactive babies, and the newborn stage is so far behind us that I have a difficult time remembering it with any clarity.

I take so many pictures, and right now, it just doesn't seem like enough.

Shopping at my Mom's Second Favorite Store

My mom has two very favorite stores.  No other store can hold her attention and/or browsing capabilities like #1, the Apple Store, and #2, Wal-Mart.

I am a product of my upbringing and am also a fan of Wal-Mart.  Going there by myself with the girls, though, is such an effort.  I have to make sure that the girls are well rested and fed for the long-haul because everyone knows that there's no such thing as a quick trip to Wally World no matter how few things are purchased.

The girls are still wobbly when they are sitting, so putting both of them in the cart isn't yet an option.  I've tried several different methods with shopping with the girls, but the easiest for me is just taking the stroller and loading it up with everything I need.  Usually by the end of our shopping, the three of us look like a walking circus, but we always make it through.

This is what we look like shopping.  We get a lot of "oohs and ahhs" as we meander through the aisles.  Everyone young and old is enamored with the twins.....actually, it's mostly just the young and old.  People 15-65 aren't so interested, unless they have twins, know twins, or are a twin themself.

Everything these days seems to be an adventure with Caroline and Ellie as they are changing so much.  I'm noticing right now of how much longer things hold their attention.  They do really well when we're out as there is so much to look at, and they love to touch/hold/eat everything...except for their toys, of course!

We're having a lot of fun these days.  My mom arrives next week, so we'll be able to do some big shopping when she comes....as in purchase more than 10 things at a time!

Visiting Yiggie and Pa!

We had such a wonderful time visiting Yiggie and Pa, which is what all the grandkids on Blake's side of the family call his parents.  Who knew 3 weeks could go by so fast.  We had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends, and even still, there were still people that I didn't get to see.  It's amazing how much I can't get done with 2 babies in tow.  (How many times have I said that??).

The girls mastered sitting up and rolling over with ease while we were there, and they both had some new teeth pop through.  Ellie had her top 4 teeth come quickly in all at once, and Caroline got 2 teeth with 2 more slowly making their way.

I did a terrible job taking pictures while we were in Bakersfield, and I'm crushed.  I had big plans of making a little baby book with a picture of everyone in the family for the girls to have, but clearly that's not happening right now.  We'll be there for Christmas, so I guess I can refresh my good intentions during that visit that will, let's be honest, most likely have a similar outcome.

Thankfully, these girls are adorable (I say with complete objectivity), so even a picture taken on my "2009-definitely-not-smart-phone" or Blake's phone is a keeper in my book!

With their Great-Grandma Winnie!  We saw her almost every morning, and it was wonderful!  The girls definitely knew their Great-Grandma after a couple mornings, which warmed my heart.

Visiting the firehouse and Uncle Cole.  Thanks Vanna for sending me this picture!  :)  All the cousins got to go to the firehouse and visit - absolutely adorable!

Playing on the floor at Yiggie and Pa's house.  The girls mastered their sitting up skills while were were there!

Ellie and here Daddy!  It's difficult to tell in this picture, but Ellie developed a freckle on the top part of her forehead right before we arrive in Bakersfield.  It was very convenient for everyone knowing who's who.  Plus, Ellie always sucks her left hand, which is always a giveaway!

We borrowed a lot of pack-and-plays and cribs while we would go visit people's houses.  This is Caroline and Ellie passed out together in my friend, Annah's crib.

The girls started sitting in high chairs for the first time since they could finally sit up by themselves.  They really got to the point of enjoying their baby food too.  It's amazing how much they changed while we were there!

Flying with Ellie, who didn't want to sleep on the flight since there was so much to observe and people to look at through the seats.  

Gettin on a Jet Plane

Blake and I flew to Bakersfield with the girls for our first plane ride experience since we've had them.  In the past, we both have always enjoyed getting on a plane - it means total relaxation and a good nap for the both of us.  Ahhh...the good 'ole days.

Caroline and Ellie did extremely well on the flight.  They were enthralled with all the people and the noises from the plane and on the way there, they did not make a single peep.  Not one.  

We had an extended unplanned layover in Phoenix that delayed us several hours.  It was late.  The girls were tired, but they hung in there with their people watching and Blake and I pacing the terminal trying to keep them comfortable.  However, in the end, we made it!

By the time we arrived in Bakersfield, it was the equivalent of 1am (Texas time), and the girls had hardly slept.  We think that was the ticket to getting them quickly adjusted to the new time zone.  They slept in and were ready for a 7pm normal bedtime the next day!  

On the way home, this past weekend, my sister, Lauren, helped me get the girls back to Texas since Blake had already left the week prior to get back to work.  Caroline and Ellie weren't as easy going on this trip.  Lauren had Ellie on the first flight to Phoenix, and Lauren fed her about a lb of baby puff crackers to try to keep her quiet.  We couldn't sit next to each other on that flight and I could hear Ellie from a few rows back fussing loudly in between each puff that Lauren shoveled into her mouth!  Our flight from Phoenix to Houston was cancelled at the last minute and so we had to hang around the airport for about 6 hours waiting for the next flight.  Caroline and Ellie did great the whole time, although Lauren and I were exhausted just trying to keep them entertained and happy.  

By the time we got on the plane, the girls were spent, tired and we were all ready to be home!  At some point, though, you just gotta laugh.  I have one amazing sister who put with so much to help me out!  I'm not sure what I would have done without her!

The girls finally fell asleep and they never cried once from the air pressure changes.  I think Lauren is looking forward to her flight back...all...by....herself!  ha!

Even with all the schedule changes and a lot of baby bouncing, we made it home and everyone survived!  It was so sad leaving Bakersfield and Blake's parents, but it's nice to be home and be back with Blake.

One on One

I am frequently stopped in the store to chat about twins, which I always enjoy.  I've heard more stories from strangers about fertility ups and downs, twins, triplets, quadruplets (not kidding), etc.  Ever since Caroline and Ellie came along, I have quickly resolved to the idea that everything takes about 5 times as long as it did before twins, so stopping a couple times to chat and have sometimes lengthy conversations is just part of the gig.  I honestly enjoy it and try to soak in everything I can.

Dada

Caroline and Ellie love their Daddy.  They say "dada" all the time when they're making their constant noises, and Blake can't wait until they make the connection that HE is Dada.

with Caroline

I have come to learn that there is a universal fussy time for kids, and these girls are no exception.  It's always around the time Blake is due home from work, and I have sadly been known in an act of desperation to be standing on the driveway holding both girls waiting for him to pull up.  No matter how fussy they are, though, they immediately stop when they see him with faces lit up and arms and legs flailing until he holds them.

Ellie in pink shirt and Caroline in plaid