Settling in

Hey everyone!  Can’t believe I am blogging.  I bet I have all of 5 minutes to update you all.  I constantly have about 5 million things rattling around in my head to talk about, but I will start with a quick update off the top of my head.

The twins are getting huge!  I can hardly lift them both at the same time anymore but they are holding their heads up pretty good now so its making it easier to shift them from here to there.  They are both probably around 9-10 lbs.  They say that 10 lbs. is the magic number for babies to start sleeping through the night- riiiiggggghhhhht.  What happens if you have a 10 lb. baby?  Anyway, they are still eating every 3-4 hrs. and went 5-6 hrs. between eating at night once so far.  We were like- wow!…that won’t happen for another 2 months again!

They are doing all sorts of smiling and man is our Stella the charmer.  She smiles like crazy!  She smiles at us almost constantly, at Lucy, at the cat, at the blanket- at the light!  Its so nice to see someone so genuinely excited to be alive.  Zoey is our little thrill seeker.  Don’t get me wrong, she smiles up a storm too, but her temperment is definitely on the active, lets-go side of things.  She rolled over a few days ago and then did it over and over and over.  She loves being rolled around by her arms too.  She is very physical but definitely lets you know when enough is enough.  She has a tendency to get worked up fast and its hard to get her calmed down sometimes so we are working on the transition thing with her.  The swing is a lifesaver for her.  She is certainly intense for a little one, but I am wondering if that will change.  They say that twins can switch between characteristics over time.  It will be fun to look back and see what happens.

They are still also sleeping in the same crib although starting to roll into each other a lot more so we may need to separate them soon.  Having a crib in the family room may not be the most aesthetically pleasing choice, but man is it a lifesaver.  Also, those smaller nursing pillows- the boppy- is GREAT for holding babies too!

Lucy, the current star of the family, is quite the entertainer.  She is also a huge chatterbox and is picking up words like crazy.  Yesterday it was pumpkin and today I think she said thank you.  She loves to verbalize everything we do like “diaper”, “outside”, “shoes”, etc.  It is also cute that she knows her friends by name and points to their houses as we walk down the street and says their name.  We have discovered finger painting, window clings, stickers and crayons lately too.  Recently also she has gotten into books, which makes me proud.  She loves to be read to and its so nice to have a quiet sitting moment with her after months of running, running, running.  I was worried about how she’d do being at home with just me most of the time after a year of friends at daycare, but she seems to be happy and satisfied, which is a relief.

Aunt Chris and Uncle Bill have been visiting a lot too, which she (and I) LOVES.  Aunt Chris got her some little purses which she loves to carry around too and can’t go on a walk in the neighborhood without!  Every time the doorbell rings she goes nuts and hustles her little legs to the door to see who it is.  Mom and Dad Dettbarn are also helping so much spending time with the girls so we can get out or Lucy can have some special time with them.  Its really a blessing to have the break and something different to look forward during the week.  I am also incredibly thankful for my friends on the street who are always around to hang out with during the day.  Our kids can play together while we.. well… play together too and no one cares if your hair is done.  Nothing is better than catching up on the street on a nice fall evening after dinner while the kids run around outside.

We have also transitioned almost all the way from bottle to straw cup with her milk.  This is a big deal!  She goes to her little couch when its time for a drink and sits down waiting patiently.  How cute.  What is amazing to me is how during the first year you know all the milestones, etc. that your kid should be doing and when and then in the second year all bets are off.  Each kid is so different and it gets harder to know what you should be doing with them!  I only find out about stuff when I hear my friends talking about it, etc.  Plus the issues get bigger.  Like sharing with friends, making friends, playing, talking, eating, etc.  Its so hard and the trial and error of parenting just never stops does it?  Being a parent sheds a whole new light on teaching actually!

So, looking ahead, we are so excited to meet our new friend Jack Benoit, born to Mark and Nicole on Sept. 4th, brother to sweet Ava.  We are so so so anxious to also meet Logan’s new brother or sister very, very soon.  Who is this new little life going to be?  So exciting!  Also, great gram Eidens (mom of twins too) and my Aunt Michelle (a twin herself) will be meeting the new babies for the first time in a couple of weeks.  Then, we make the trek to Albany for Thanksgiving with the brood.  That will be exciting one way or another right?

So, some hopes for future posts on the blog include: top 10 twin newborn (material) essentials, top 10 newborn immaterial things that are must for parents of twins, the things I wish I had appreciated more when I was a “dink” (double income no kids!) and a listing of things to do in WNY that are great for families with young kids (especially those off the beaten path).  Stay tuned!  (45min. later this is finally done and not one baby crying!  YES!)