Trick Or Treat!

Our little cow and leopard played dress up yesterday.  They had so much fun in their costumes and their buddy, Asher, came over to join in!

Mini Zoo!

HAPPY  HALLOWEEN!

5 years ago today, Justin proposed!!

Max 9 Months

My Buds!  You (and Claire) have made the past nine months so special for Daddy and me.  You have been busy exploring this month.  Your Grandmother thinks you are going to be an engineer!  You are curious and study every little thing.  You are so smart.  Recently you learned Peek a Boo!  You are so proud of yourself and laugh every time we play.  You wave - backwards and I love it.  We usually watch Baby Einstein in the mornings and I think you are learning from their moves....which is why I just bought a sign language video in hopes you will learn to tell us what you want - instead of whining!  You love to play with balls.  It's the cutest when you crawl (with a ball in hand) to the hardwoods and then push and catch it!

You have the best smile and I think your cheeks are the most perfect thing in the world.  You are still our little snuggler.  Your sleep patterns have not gotten any better.  I can't seem to pin down the problem.  You wake up b/t 4:45-5:15 almost every morning.  We started bringing you in our room so you wouldn't wake up Claire, but decided that it wasn't a good idea....So, now if you wake up before 6, you still have to stay in your crib.  Luckily Claire is a good sleeper and sleeps through your whining and crying.  We don't like to do it, but I don't want you to get in the habit of waking up early just to get in our bed :) (truthfully, I love your snuggles in our bed)

You are a super fast crawler, although it is not the traditional crawl.  You still reach and pull.  You could crawl  if you wanted to, but you are so fast your way you always take a few crawls and go back to your stomach.
You love going to school once a week.  They say you are a big fan of music class. I  really want to look in one day so I can see all the fun you have.  Hopefully we can work it out so you can go twice a week!
You say dadadada all day long and in all different sounds.  Sometimes really loud, sometimes drawn out and sometimes in the sweetest, soft voice :)
Bath time is your favorite.  You and Claire splash and laugh the whole time.  You don't like getting your pjs or diaper changed.  That is a new challenge. You want to be on the move at all times.

You have four bottles a day and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  You are a very good eater and are so good using your pincer grasp!  You get frustrated with slippery foods. And you have the messiest cutest routine.  Once you pick up your food, you put it on the table (not your tray) or the cup holder on your tray, then pick it back up to eat.  I've also noticed you dropping food on the floor.  If Coltrane was still here, he would love mealtimes with you!
You wear size 3 diapers and most of your clothes are 12 months.

*first ear infection and cold 10/23/2011

Claire 9 Months

Oh, Claire!  What have you been up to?
Your biggest accomplishment this month is CRAWLING!!!  Just a few days of turning nine months, you started crawling.  You look so cute when you are on the move!  The best is when you see me walk in the room and you start crawling towards me.  It melts my heart :)  You and Max have done a better job playing with each other.  When I leave you in your play yard together, I can hear you from the kitchen just giggling away at each other.  Sometimes you steal each others toys and I hear the opposite!  You are starting to pay attention when we read books and love the peek a boo books!!
You still smile all the time and are such a good girl.  You started going to "school" once a week and LOVE it! Your teachers always brag how good you are.  Makes me a proud Mom.  I'm thinking after Christmas we will let you go twice a week!

We lowered your crib bc you have been pulling up on any and everything.  Most mornings when I come get you, you are on your knees holding onto the crib rails!

You are a fabulous eater!  We have started eating a lot more finger food.  You are a fast eater and sometimes you don't take the time to swallow...most noticeable with peas ;)  You tried spaghetti o's this week and love them!  You have 4 bottles a day along with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
You talk a lot!! It's still mostly dadadada, but recently I have heard a few yayaya and nanana.
You are still a good sleeper and have been doing much better with naps.  Bedtime is around 7:15 and you sleep til 6:30.  I think you would sleep longer if your brother would let you!

Bath time is your favorite time of day.  You and Max make the biggest splashes and laugh and talk the entire time!  Getting changed is your least favorite thing to do.  Especially night time.  It is a struggle to get your diapers on.
You wear 6-12 month clothes and your pjs are 9 months and a size 3 diaper.  You don't like to wear bows.  Sometimes I can sneak it on and it takes you awhile to notice.  I wish you would keep it on bc you look so darn cute!

Love those sweet cheeks!

*first ear infection and cold on 10/23

One Year Ago

Exactly one year ago I was put on bed rest.  It feels like yesterday, but also so long ago.  I was a wreck.  Every single minute was worth it to have two perfect babies!  What a difference a year makes!!

On a random note...Justin and I just watched Bridesmaids.  Probably the first movie I've seen in over six months - maybe longer!  We both were laughing out loud!!  And we even stayed awake through the whole movie!

Now it's time to have more cookies and milk :)  One day i'll actually finish Max and Claire's 9 month post!

9 Months

Another month has flown by!  I think the past month has brought the most changes!  They are so busy and curious ALL.THE.TIME!  Just when I think things are getting easier, BAM, they start crawling!  It's funny...  Before they could sit, I would always say how easier it would be if they were sitting.  But once they started sitting on their own, they started doing it in the middle of the night :) and wanting to play.  That lasted about a week.
They are both crawling.  Claire does the traditional crawl and Max does a reach and pull.  And they typically go in different directions :)

They eat three meals a day along with four bottles.  I am still pumping.  I am hanging on to every single ounce I can get.  It's pretty ridiculous.  After having mastitis and losing most of my supply, I will pump for 30 minutes and barely get four ounces total.  Last night I decided to pump for an hour ( I was watching TV and playing on the computer anyway) and I actually got 7 ounces.  Who has time to pump for an hour?  Not me!
My second goal was making it to nine months but I'm not ready to quit.  I teared up the other night when I dropped a pump.  We will see how long this will last.  I have a feeling I am drying up.
Yesterday at their dr appt, the nurse hooked us up with five cans of formula then called me today to tell me the enfamil rep came and she is saving me a whole case!!  She rocks!! I'm making cookies to take her on Monday. That is huge savings :)

My loves :)

Peek A Boo!

Max's new favorite thing to do is play peek a boo while we are on walks!  It is the cutest.thing.ever!

And, I think he learned it from Baby Einstein's First Moves DVD!  We play peek a boo at home, but (I wouldn't) think enough for him to do this!!  He mimics everything.... hoping he will pick up the sign language video I just bought!

We also had our 9 month well baby appointment today.
Dr. Bates was very pleased with both of them.

Max:
20 lbs 15 oz  50th %
29.5 in  90th %
44 cm (head) 25th %

Claire:
18 lbs 4 oz  25th %
27.75 in  50th %
42.5 cm 50th %

They are growing up way to fast!  Both are starting to feel better and I'm hoping to do their 9 month post before the weekend!

Oh... we had Mother's Morning Out today.  All three of us LOVE it!  Their teachers are wonderful and they have so much fun.  They don't even notice when I leave!  I have to find a way for them to go twice a week.  I think I'm gonna sell some of our old (designer) jeans on EBAY to start a twice a week fund!!  Today I was able to go to Target, get gas, run, mow the front yard, start dinner, laundry, make cookies for their teacher, go to bank and run by Foot Locker to get sized for some new Nike's - all before 1!!  And picking them up with huge smiles makes my day :)

Baby girl

My babies are still sick :(  No more fever, but Max has an awful cough and Bear has one of the worst diaper rashes I have ever seen. She cries every time I change her.... which has been a lot.  I think the Amoxicillian is causing more poo diapers (?)  It just looks painful.  Luckily we have their 9 month well baby tomorrow.
It seems that they were so healthy, then they went to Mother's Morning Out and they have been sick for almost a week.  I guess it was going to happen sooner or later.  I just hate seeing them feel so bad.
Hopefully everyone will be better by this weekend so we can do our 9 month photo shoot and play in our Halloween costumes!

Pumpkins, Weddings and Ear Infections... Oh MY!

We had a super busy weekend.  Friday, Mom and I took Max and Claire to a local church pumpkin patch to take some pictures.  It was crazy.  Claire tried/did eat sticks, leaves and acorns and Max wasn't feeling well and fussed 95% of the time.  We will go back to get more pictures when they are in a good mood.

My two lil pumpkins!

Busted!

getting an acorn out of her mouth!

she loved the pumpkins! and is loving standing holding on to something!

*side note~ I had no idea how expensive pumpkins were outside of the grocery store.  Right now Harris Teeter, our local grocery store has huge pumpkins 4/$9.  I left with a very small pumpkin and a pie pumpkin for $7.  I would have loved to get one of their largest, but wasn't going to pay over $30 for a pumpkin that was going to rot on our front porch!

Saturday I had a baby shower and a wedding to go to!  I could almost cry bc I forgot to take my camera to both of them!  I was only able to stay at the shower for 45 min bc I had to get back and get ready for the wedding that was out of town (40 min. away). 

The wedding was AMAZING!  The venue was beautiful, food was amazing (filet and crab cake), music and dancing were a ton of fun and the bride and groom looked like a million bucks!

My in-laws had come in town to visit and babysit Max and Claire.  We had planned on going to the Farmer's Market with them to do more pumpkin pictures but we ended up at the doctor's office instead.  Claire woke up looking awful (puffy, red eyes, runny nose, slight fever) and you could just tell Max still felt bad.  Turns out both have an ear infection.  I hate seeing them feel so bad.  Hoping the medicine kicks in and they feel better soon!

They turned 9 months on Saturday and I am putting off their photo shoot until they get better and are smiley again ;)

I need a nap!

Gearing up

Today Max and Claire were geared up for fall!  They had on their matching Puma track suits!  They looked so cute.  I had a hard time getting a good picture bc Max is still feeling bad and Claire just wants to be on the move!
We were up.all.night. Max wasn't sleeping and Claire decided to have a party in her crib around 2!  I was rocking Max and she sat up on her knees and held on to the crib bars laughing :)  It was hard for me not to laugh back bc she looked so cute!  I maybe had one consecutive hour of sleep.
After waking from an early nap, we headed to Costco to get Claire a Halloween costume.

they love riding in the cart together!

The greeter/counter guy spoke to them as we walked in and Max started wailing!   The guy was African American and VERY tall and super sweet.  I was so embarrassed!  I just told the guy Max was sleepy and didn't feel well.  Anyways, we left with a cow costume.  Can't wait to take pictures!

After their afternoon nap we headed to the park for a run.  I haven't had a good run since last Thursday.  Monday I thought I was getting Mastitis again so running was not an option!
The weather was perfect for a good run!

And how is it already the end of October?  I love fall and one of my favorite things is the changing of the leaves.  It looks as though most have changed and are falling off :( I really wanted to do outside pics of Max and Claire with all the beautiful colors.

I promise she doesn't hate me!!

This weekend we are planning on going to go to the pumpkin patch with both sets of grandparents!  I want to do pictures in their costumes and pictures in Halloween shirts!

Who needs Pledge when you have Max!?

Big things going on in our house!!  We have two crawlers and a duster!  Max's new favorite thing is pushing a ball under the table then chasing after it.... not realizing he is dusting in the process!  He has done this the past few mornings and it makes me laugh every time!

Claire has been rocking and rolling for a while now and out of nowhere, she decided she was ready and took off!!  I am so proud of her!  -  a lot more work for me, but a big accomplishment for her!
Max has been crawling for a few weeks, only he does a reach and pull, not your traditional crawl.  Both are getting fast and going in different directions!

They had Mother's Morning Out today.  I got so much done!  I cleaned, laundry, ran errands, tried to shop, and pumped before picking them up.  When I got there they said Max was really tired - and boy was he!  You could tell by his eyes and he started crying when I got there....then Claire started!  They have been sympathy crying lately.  Max was asleep before we left the parking lot.  I put them both down after arriving home and they slept for almost two hours.  Max was burning up when I picked him up.  I took his temp and he had a fever of 100.4.  Poor guy!  Hopefully he will sleep it off (along with the Tylenol) and feel better tomorrow.

Loving the stage we are in right now.  They are so much fun!

We're mobile!

Claire started crawling today! She looks so cute and makes me a proud Mom!
Hopefully tomorrow when I'm not so sleepy, I can upload a video :)

Party like it's your birthday!

Saturday night Justin and my Mom threw me a 30th birthday party!  It was supposed to be a surprise, but Justin spilled the beans!  

It was a perfect birthday and birthday party!  I loved being around my closest family and friends!

Heather and London are prego and due in January! Aren't they so cute!  There were four pregnant women there!

Do NOT like when people sing Happy Birthday!

Cake was yummy!

Best parents in the world!

Best husband in the world!

And because every post is better with a picture of Max and Claire ~

presh!

Early Bird

This little guy has been up since 4AM.  It's killing me!  I say this as I am on my second cup of coffee and just finished a piece of pound cake - don't judge!  We try to make him cry it out, but that can only go on so long without waking up his sister.  This morning we first heard him at 4 and made him stay is his crib til close to 4:45.  He got to loud so we moved him to the play pin in the other room in hopes he would go back to sleep. NOPE.   We let him cry it out for a while and finally we got him.  Poor guy was sitting up crying.  Justin brought him back to our bedroom (what we were trying to avoid) and he laid down with me... only he didn't go back to sleep.  Finally at 5:55 we came in the den and I started to pump.  All this going on and Claire was still asleep.
Help!
Why does he keep getting up so early?  I know its not because he is hungry.  He literally gets up "clapping" and bouncing around.  Each morning he gets up earlier and earlier.  Part of me thinks it's because he is so eager to learn and play.
Any ideas or things I can do?

This girl needs sleep!

The BIG one!

Today I turned the BIG 3-0!  It has been one of my best birthdays yet!  It was a big day for Max and Claire too!  They went to "school" for the first time.  They did great!  It was from 9-1 and the director and teachers commented on how well they behaved and how much fun they were!  That makes a Momma proud, especially on her birthday.  Even better - they napped for 2.5 hrs when we got home!!

I was able to do some quick shopping - which for once put a smile on my face.  I bought a pair of jeans in a size 4!!  Never did I think I would ever see that day!!  They were from Gap and they tend to run big, but still :)

I had a nice lunch with Justin, many calls, text, and fb messages from friends,and a  nice dinner with presents with the parents!

Looking forward to my "surprise" party on Saturday!!

Yay for birthdays!!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

It rained.all.day.  I wish it only rained while we were sleeping, leaving the days to play outside.  All three of us were stir crazy today.

When I get bored, or stuck in the house, I like to bake.  I was going to try and not bake all week... didn't make it to far!  I made hard boiled egg cookies again. They are divine!  And since I ate around 5 cookies, I escaped to the gym after the babies went down.  It felt good to get out of the house!

Looking forward to some mommy time tomorrow.!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Max and Claire are as busy as can be!  Justin and I still haven't finished baby proofing.  I'm  hoping to get some done tonight.  First in order is to lower the cribs.  We've been talking about that for a few weeks, but it really is a  must do now!

Claire, so curious!

Thankfully my Mom put a bumper around our fire place, now I just need to put up cords (computer, phone, pump, etc) and some last minute things in the play room.  They really need a room that is 100% safe.  Max gets really mad when he is on the move and I have to pick him up and turn him around.  

His new thing is pushing a ball, or something that rolls, and going to catch it! 

I tried to do a photo shoot since I haven't done one in a while, but they just want to move - sitting still is not an option!

"I don't want to sit still!"

and he's off!

baby girl in her new winter hat!

Other randoms:

I signed them up for a Mother's Morning Out!  We all need it!  I am really excited.  They will go on Wednesdays 9-1 and have music class, walks, swing outside and the opportunity to play with other kids their age AND I get to relax, shop, workout, get my nails done, etc.... :) Win/Win!

I am working hard to get my bm supply back.  This morning I actually got 3 oz! (even though at lunch I only got 1.5)  I am taking Fenugreek again and I think it is starting to help.  

My 30th birthday is Wednesday!!! I'm so excited!  Justin has been planning a party for a while.  It was supposed to be a surprise, but he told me.  I am looking forward to Saturday night to celebrate :)

Cheers!