What's your schedule?

I need help.  We have been following Babywise since month 1.  It has worked well for us and Max and Claire have been sleeping through the night since month 3 (our main goal for starting babywise.)
This is our current schedule
6am wake up
7am bottle then play
8am nap
they usually nap 1.5 hrs and if they wake up early, we go for a walk in the neighborhood
11am  baby food (cereal and fruit), then bottle
Play til about 12:45/1 then go down for a nap
3pm bottle only
play and meet friend at park for a walk
they may or may not take a nap...if they do, it is usually a 45 min cat nap
6:30ish pm start baby food (veggies and cereal) , bath, then bottle
7:15pm  songs and bed

So I guess my question is - When do you feed your solids? right after bottle, before bottle, an hour after bottle/breast feeding?  I know we need to do what is best for us, but I just want to hear what others are doing or did.

I feel like we are in a rut.  Yesterday we went to the park for a walk and I decided to stop at the swings.  Max has been on the swing once before, but this was Claire's first time.  They both loved it!!  If I would have remembered sunscreen, we would have stayed longer...we will definitely do that again!

 Miss Priss

Happy Boy!

Yesterday was also their first time taking a big girl/big boy bath!  We have still been bathing in the sink...more for convenience for me.  Their splashing has gotten out of control so it was time for the bath tub.

However, I forgot to buy a bath mat so they won't slip and Max still doesn't sit unsupported for long periods of time so I put their bumbo seats in the tub.  

They had a great time!  It was a bit difficult for me by myself, but will be much easier and more fun when Justin is there to help.

Hopefully our computer will keep trucking along a little longer!  I tried some cleanup and it seems to have helped a little.

Bad computer!

So, our computer is frozen and I am having to use my phone for Internet. Justin is taking it to work tomorrow to see if their computer guy can see a problem - if not, we will be purchasing a new laptop.

Anywho, poor Max man has had diarrhea for three days. For the most part he has been acting fine - a little fussy. I feel bad bc he probably got a stomach bug from me or Justin. Now we are just hoping it stays away from Claire.

That's about it. Fun post, I know! Little different blogging from your phone.

Max 7 months

Dear Max, Max Man, Buds, Little Buddy.......
You are such a big boy now!  You are learning and take in so much every day!  You are the sweetest baby ever.  I love that you like to cuddle.  We call it "winning" when you lay your head on our chest.  Daddy wins more than I do :( but I cherish every single moment that I win!  If you are fussing in your crib, I lean my head in to give you a kiss and you reach your hands up to feel my face and usually pull my hair.  So sweet!  Recently you have been quite the hair puller and it hurts.  You can Claire both like to touch and and grab at my necklace.  You smile all the time and always look at your sister and smile (she is finally smiling back at you!)  I just know you are going to be the best brother!

You have mastered rolling both ways and do it all the time.  Just recently you have gotten on all fours and are rocking....just a matter of time until you crawl.  I want it so bad for you, but I don't know that we are ready for you to be crawling!  You love the exersaucer and you and Claire will just look at each other, start jumping and laughing. It's the best.  You guys have just recently really started paying attention to each other.  It makes us so happy when you do.  It's the sweetest!

 

You're a good sleeper - probably a better napper.  You have been waking up at 6 am.... what happened to the 7:15 you used to give us?  Please bring it back!  You eat four times a day.  It took us a while to get on this schedule, but now it works great for us. You love all the solid foods you have tried and have just been introduced to yogurt melts and puffs.... another hit!

You are wearing a size 3 diaper and most of your clothes are 9-12 months!  You have two bottom teeth and got them around 5 and a half months.

Claire 7 months

My beautiful Claire, Bears, Bear Bear, Miss Priss.....
You have grown so much in the past month!  You are babbling up a storm, rolling like crazy, sitting up, grasping small objects and smiling and laughing all the time!  Your grin melts my heart :)

You are still a pretty good sleeper, although I wish you would sleep an extra 30 minutes in the morning.  Your bedtime is usually around 7:15 and you usually wake up at 6:15am.  You eat four times a day, two of them include solids.  You love to eat and have liked everything I have given you.  Recently, you have started blowing raspberries while you eat and I don't like that!  I don't know how to get you to stop bc I don't think you understand "no" yet.

 

You are into everything!  You always grab for our phones or remote control and get mad if we take it away - same with toys.  Once, I was helping you with a baby mum mum and you threw a tantrum bc you thought I was taking it away from you!  Your giggle is the best and you are finally paying attention to Max.

You are wearing a size 2 diaper.  You still wear 3-6 months in most of your clothes.  Sleepers are almost 9 months.  You finally broke skin on your first tooth! 
Your favorite activity is still the exersaucer.  You jump all around and look at Max and you both start laughing :)  Your two favorite songs are The wheels on the bus and If you're happy and you know it.  It always makes you smile when I sing those to you...(you are probably laughing at my inability to sing!)  You always go for my necklace and like to look and play with it.

sick.

I.am.sick. 
I went out for girls night last night and about 4am got up to (sorry tmi) throw up.  I didn't think I had drank that much.... apparently, it was not from drinking as I have been getting sick all day.  (and I did an alcohol strip on my bm to make sure)
I don't think I have been this sick in a very long time....not to mention with the babies.  Thankfully, Justin stayed with me until 10am before he had to work.  It didn't get any better so I called mom, who has the same thing :( 
Justin has been awesome.  I took a phenergan at about six and have been knocked out since.
The only reason I'm up now is to pump :(....which is going so well considering I haven't been able to keep liquidsd down and have only had 3 crackers today.
asdlfjeoinavie. stupid day.
Really hoping this doesn't get passed to M and C :(

I thought I was losing it!

Today was weird!  It all started this morning after Justin had left for work.  Let me preface by saying I hate to be alone late at night or early morning when it is dark.  Around six I was hearing noises and was afraid to get out of bed..... finally got over it and went on with my day.
About 2:00, I thought our house was shaking.  I mean....was I losing it?  I was pumping, sitting on my perch (that's what I call where I sit on the couch to pump!)  I quickly unhooked and went to the kitchen where I heard noises in our butler's pantry.  I thought there was a rat or something in there making my dishes rattle! lol, then I went to check outside to see if something had crashed.... little did I know it was tremmors from a 5.8 earthquake in Va!
I called Justin at work to tell him the house was shaking just in case something happened.  He thought I was nuts!  It wasn't but two minutes later that I was on Facebook and realized what had happened!

7 months!

Has it really been 7 months since my two wonderful babies entered the world?!  Time is going by way to fast.  They blossom more each day and recently have been so attentive to one another.  I LOVE watching them. 

 

You can see their different personalities in the pictures.  There is no question who runs the show!

don't let her fool you! guarantee that is a raspberry, not a sweet kiss!

I am still pumping.  My previous goal was six months...my next goal is nine months.  I am blessed to be able to have gone as long as I have.  I still supplement one formula bottle a day.  Unfortunately, I still get up in the middle of the night to pump.  I want to drop this one, but it is usually my best one.  Maybe next month I'll drop it?

Love!

I forgot to mention they went to their first Little Gym class.  Luckily, Aunt Darcy was in town to help.  They had fun, but I am not sure I am ready to take both of them by myself, not to mention class is at 11 and we have worked so hard to get on our new schedule. (they eat at 11)  It was really cute.  They played with a bell, sang songs, held on to parallel bars, and most importantly, was able to interact with other babies their age.  I am definitely interested, but will probably wait another month or so.

This shows their size difference!  Their shoulders are not even, but nonetheless, Max is a big boy!

watch out for the stink eye!  it looks like she just scolded him!

 bahahaha!  Justin and I couldn't quit laughing at this!

Individual posts to follow!

Giggles

The past week or so, Max and Claire have been really recognizing each other.  Often, you will find them staring at each other and laughing!  It is the sweetest and cutest thing I've ever seen.  Of course, when I went to video the two of them, they stopped - But I caught Claire playing with her first baby doll.  

I'm loving this age :)  Time flies - they will be 7 months tomorrow!

Max and Claire's first 5k!

 

 Claire looking a little nervous before her first 5k!

Saturday we participated in a local 5k.  It was perfect weather for a run.  Justin and our friend Jay ran with the babies and I ran with Aunt Darcy.  Justin said they were the second stroller that finished :)  Max and Claire must have been working hard!!

Play date and a Banana!

Ok, so this is a day late but too cute not to post!

Yesterday, Max and Claire's friend Jack came over for a drive by play date!  Literally they were here for 10 min, but it was a great 10 minutes!  Jack is two weeks older than M and C and is so stinkin cute!  He teaches Max what he needs to do next.  Yesterday he showed him how he crawls and sits up!

Earlier in the day we experimented with a banana.  I gave each of them half of a half of a banana to hold and eat by themselves. It went pretty well!!

And lastly, this is what happens when I leave them for two seconds:

 :)

Convertible Car seats and activitites

I need help!  We are hoping to buy convertible car seats by the end of this week.  Max looks so uncomfortable in his current one and convertible car seats are 20% off at Babies R Us until the 25th.
I've been looking at the Britax Marathon  Obviously, I want what is the safest for our babies, BUT is the Marathon that much better or more safe than the Graco My Ride 65? 
What do you have? thoughts?

Also, I need some new activities to do with Max and Claire.  We take daily walks, play on the floor, practice sitting, read, baby einstein, exersaucers....but I think they are getting bored.  I have introduced some more toys, but how long is that going to last?! 

don't worry, we were parked!

Ok, back to Jersey now that I am awake!  First, I have to mention how calm and beautiful this shore is!  Living in NC, I grew up going to the NC/SC beaches, but there is something different about the beach in NJ.  There are so many beautiful houses and bed and breakfast.  You will not see Marriots, Hiltons, ect (at least where we were).  People are out bright and early, riding bikes, running, or simply taking a stroll on the beach.  The smell of local bakeries is divine!

This was Max and Claire's second beach trip, but first time actually sitting in sand and toes in water!

Max and Grandpa

 Sleepy girl!

 Wednesday, everyone got up early to take family pictures on the beach!  There are so many wonderful pictures, I've narrowed down to some of my favorites!

The whole gang 

 Max and Claire with their beloved Aunt Darcy

We did the fun jumping pictures.  I was off in every picture!  Either jumping to soon or looking like a bear!  They were so much fun!

Hopefully going to LBI will be a new family tradition.

Max and Claire take on Jersey!

We are home!  Ahh.... home! our beds, our food, our routine, our bath, our smells.... no beach :( and missing family :(  After a short stop in Richmond, long week in Beach Haven, NJ, and a short trip to Manassas, Va, we are home.

We had such a wonderful time in NJ.   I have hundreds of pictures to share and too tired to stay to upload all of them. 
When it's late, you will find me like this

 (fell asleep pumping :) )

 then I will have an annoying pain in my neck and that's no good :)

More of the beach tomorrow when my eyes can stay open longer than 30 seconds!

Coming to an end

I can't believe our week in Long Beach Island, NJ is coming to an end.  It has gone by in lightening speed.  I have sooooo many wonderful pictures to post when I get home.  We did a family photo shoot on the beach Wednesday morning and it went great!!! 

We decided to leave tonight to see if Max will travel better.  The ride up with him was pretty miserable.  He whined/fussed/cried over half the way.  NOT a good traveler like his sister!
We are driving to VA tonight and my brother is getting married tomorrow!!

We are looking forward to getting home and getting back on our routine.  As much fun as we have had, it has been more tiring than relaxing.  Max and Claire have been waking up around 5 each morning.  It's killing me! (esp. since I get up to pump at 4:30 and have been going to bed after 11:30 each night)  Yesterday we just threw on our running clothes at 5:45 and took them for a run so they wouldn't wake the whole house up!

Cross your fingers for a pleasant drive to VA and NC!

Life's a beach

LBI, here we come!

It's finally here!! Time for a vacation :)  We have all 100 bags packed, van full and ready to drive.  AND on the way back we are stopping in VA for my Brother's wedding!!

Action packed vacation.  Hopefully I will able to upload some beach pics of the babies and Claire in her new bikini.... I couldn't resist it! 

Til then.....

6 month well baby

Today Max and Claire had their six month well baby check up.  They are getting so big and the Dr. said everything was great :)

Max Man

18 lbs 10.5oz

27.5 in

over 75% in each!

The Bear

15 lbs 10 oz - slightly over 25%

26.5 in  75%

baby girl is long and lean!

So proud of our babies!!

Doing some last minute things before bed - my best friend Ashley is coming to visit with her husnabd and three kids tomorrow!! I am so excited!  Then it it is time to go supersonic and clean the house and finish packing our bags!

Picture day

Today, Max and Claire had their six month pictures taken.  We have been going to our photographer each month for a "trial" project.  At the end of the year, she is going to give us an extra large print showing their monthly growth!  Last month she told me to bring an extra outfit to do some six month pictures.  PERFECT timing - my cousin's wife started heybabystudio and makes the cutest outfits.  She sent Max and Claire one and we got it in the mail yesterday.  Her fabric selection is awesome!  She is so creative :)
I tried to take some pictures.  Max and Claire looked SO cute in their matching outfits.  I can't wait to order a game day dress and pants for Max!

Daddy and Max

With my sweet babies!

My Dad and bear.  I love how she is looking at him!

Tomorrow I am being featured for the first time EVER over at Chesterrific!  I love reading Maegan's blog and her son Chester is the cutest!

Stay tuned for an update on Max and Claire's six month dr appt :)