Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I sometimes get overwhelmed when I think of all the blessings in my life.  I love that we have a special day to be thankful for everything God has given us....not because of anything we have done, but because of his goodness and mercy.  We have so much to be thankful for always, but especially this year as we celebrated the twins' first ever Thanksgiving!

 our 2 little turkeys!

We went to Kingsville to celebrate with the Bennett and Crowe families.  Bdad and Gram were wonderful hosts!  The food was fabulous and we all ate too much.  Even Rhett and Rhys had a special Thanksgiving meal....no turkey this year, but they enjoyed sweet potatoes, apples, and barley cereal.  YUM!  

We were thankful to spend the day with Bdad and Gram, Uncle Mike, Uncle Mickey & Aunt Mindy, cousins Laura and Joel, Mammaw, and Uncle Ted.

Rhett loves hanging out with Uncle Mike!

Ted, Mammaw, & Mickey enjoying lunch

 

Laura & Joel

Laura (Tim's cousin) was so good with the babies!  They loved playing with her, and I enjoyed visiting with her. 

 Laura & Rhett having some afternoon fun

I was really excited that the twins were going to have some time around their great grandmother, Mammaw.  She is also the mother of twins!  It was so much fun visiting with her after lunch.  Mammaw told me that she found out she was having twins ONE day before she had them!   It was fun hearing her stories of life with little ones in her home.  Rhett and Rhys had fun with her too...

 Rhett relaxing with Mammaw

 Mammaw even got down on the floor to play with Rhys....love it!

Tim's Aunt Mindy was also a huge help with the babies and they had fun playing with her. 

 Mindy & Rhys

I love this next picture of Laura and Rhys playing.  Look at Mindy in the background....doesn't she have the cutest haircut?  :)

Rhett and Rhys were so spoiled all day getting loved on and held by family members.  Here they are with their Great Uncle Ted.

 Rhys visiting with Uncle Ted

 Love this one....Rhett so content sitting with Ted!

 Here is Rhett with Uncle Mickey

 Rhys getting lots of attention from Laura and Joel

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We stayed a couple of days in Kingsville so that we could have some more time with Bdad and Gram.  We spent lots of time on the back porch drinking coffee and visiting, watching the babies play, and relaxing.  Oh, and eating all the yummy leftovers!

 Rhett & Bdad watching birds

One of my favorite things about visiting Tim's parents house is their backyard.  It is full of trees, plants, flowers, birds, squirrels, and it is so awesome!  They have a great patio with a lot of chairs where we love to drink coffee and visit.  The twins enjoyed it too!

Rhys & Gram enjoying the cool morning weather

Daddy and Gram decided to take the babies on a little walk around the neighborhood.

On Friday afternoon we got to see Tim's Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Judy, and cousin Lauren.  As soon as they got here, Rhys couldn't take her eyes off of Lauren.  She started playing with her and they were fast friends.  Lauren was so good with the babies!  She also played with Rhett when he woke up from his nap.

Lauren helping Rhys look out the window

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Thanks Bdad and Gram!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."

-Psalm 107:1

8 Months

How can it be that my babies are 8 months old?  They are seeming less and less like little "babies" all the time.  It is true that they grow up fast.....and we are loving watching each new stage and step.

Rhett at 8 Months:
Rhett is huge!  We are not sure exactly how much he weighs, but it is considerably more than Rhys.  He is chunky, squishy, and we love all his extra rolls!  He is wearing size 9 month clothes and a size 3 diaper.  Our nicknames for Rhett are "Koala", "Chunk", and "Monkey".  He gets the name "Koala" because of the way he hangs on to us when we hold him....just like a little koala bear!  He has such a fun personality.  One thing I love about Rhett right now is that he will start laughing if one of us is laughing...even if he has no idea why!  I can be across the room and laugh, and he will start giggling.  It is the cutest thing.  He loves to be talked to and tickled.  He is still very cuddly and enjoys being held.  Rhett loves being rocked in the rocking chair on the back porch.  He gets very silly right before his bath and LOVES being naked.  Ha!  We are so proud of Rhett for being able to sit up on his own.  He is still in physical therapy once a week.  His favorite toy is a ball that sings and moves.  

 handsome blue eyes!

Rhett loves going on walks!

getting so good at sitting up!

Rhys at 8 Months:
Rhys has changed so much this past month!  She is a girl on the move!  She hasn't started crawling yet, but it is coming.  She is ready....but we are not!  She will lay on her stomach with her arms outstretched and wiggle, squeal, and kick.  She has gotten up on all fours and started rocking back and forth, but hasn't moved forward yet.  She rolls, scoots, and wiggles to get where she wants to go.  She can turn herself in a complete circle and move backwards, but not forward yet.  Rhys prefers to stay busy, and usually has one or two (or three!) toys in her hand at the same time.  She is putting EVERYTHING into her mouth these days!  She has such a content disposition and is so easy going.  One thing I love about Rhys is that she is happy to lay in her bed when she wakes up from a nap.  She will lay there and play and entertain herself until I go get her.  Our nicknames for Rhys right now are "Little One," "Scooter," "Roly Poly," and "Baby Girl."   She is all smiles and is so sweet.  She will, however, try to take away anything that Rhett is playing with.  Good thing he doesn't care!  Rhys is wearing size 6 month clothing and a size 3 diaper.  Her favorite toy right now is a mirror and anything else that she can fit into her mouth.

she is ready to move!

Rhys is all smiles!

 playing before bed

Playing so hard and got this toy stuck on her bow. 

 New hobby:  Taking bow off and eating it.

Schedule:

Our schedule has stayed pretty much the same as last month.  We have tweaked a few things to make life easier on us all.  I love having a schedule, but have learned to be flexible.  Having twins has taught me that having a plan is good, but things don't always go according to plan....and that it is okay.  We do the best we can!  The main thing that has changed is our evening.  If the babies nap until 2:30 p.m. or later, then we skip the catnap and just go to bed early.  If they are up before 2:30, we try to do a short little nap to help them make it through the evening.  We have learned that sleep is so important for our little ones.  Missed naps = fussy babies.  We love naps around here!  Here is a rough outline of our day:

7:00 Wake up and nurse

Play, play mats, read books, etc.

8:40  Nap 

10:15  Rhett up and therapy with mommy

10:45  Rhys up

11:00  Nurse

Play, read books, exersaucer, practice sitting, etc.

11:45 Lunch solids

12:45/1:00ish  Nap

2:15  Rhett up and therapy with mommy

2:30/3:00ish  Rhys up

3:00  Nurse

Play, go on a walk, do errands if we have any, go check mail, swing, look out window, books

*4:45-5:15  Catnap (if needed)*

5:00  Dinner solids

5:45  Start baths, books, play with daddy

6:00  Nurse and in bed around 6:30 (in bed at 7:00-7:30 if had a catnap)

Eating:

The babies are still eating well....can't you tell by their fat cheeks?  LOL

The twins nurse 4 times a day and have solids twice a day.  They definitely eat more solids in the evening than they do at lunch.  Rhys always eats more than Rhett.  She will eat anything!  Favorites right now are sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and pears.  

Some New Things We Are Doing:

We are playing a little bit more together and learning how to share.  Rhys does like to take toys away from Rhett, and it is funny, but we don't want to encourage it.  

 R&R love this Leap Frog activity table

We also started something new that we call "Independent Playtime."  We let the babies play by themselves for a few minutes each day in the pack n play.  Right now we do about 5-10 minutes at a time, but I will gradually increase this time.  I usually go across the room where they can't see me and set a timer.  Then when the timer goes off I clap and cheer and get them out.  I hope to teach them how to be able to play alone and be content without being entertained constantly.  So far, so good! 

Rhys playing in the pack n play

We can sit up better and are falling less.  I usually put a boppy pillow behind them to soften the fall if/when there is one!  

playing before bedtime (please excuse Rhett's tummy roll hanging out of his pj's)

This month has been so much fun!  The babies are "talking" more, more interactive with us and each other, and so fun to watch.  Here are a few more pics from this month.

 helping mommy bake a birthday cake for Uncle Mike

 we love looking out the window and watching the birds and squirrels

 giving Uncle Mike his birthday gift

going to one of Rhett's appointments

This has been a busy month.  We went to a wedding, visited Sugar's house, had a play date with our cousins, Rhett got a new cranial band, and the twins also filmed their first t.v. commercial!  Check the blog soon to read all the details....and SA friends....be on the lookout for our chubby little faces on channel 12!

And this is my life.

So, now that I am a MOM (Mother of Multiples) I tend to have the most interesting conversations with people.  Most of these people are strangers.  There is something about having twins that makes people think that they can ask you anything they want.  The sight of my double stroller and 2 babies leads these eager conversationalists to forget social boundaries and simple courtesy. 

I have had the following conversation at least a jillion times since the twins were born...

Yes, I have had someone ask me if my twins were "natural."  Who says that?

And this is my life.  It's a twin's life for sure.

Rhys' Fall Photo Shoot

I know that everyone thinks their kids are the cutest.  I know I do.

So, since I have the cutest kids ever, I asked my very-talented-at-taking-pictures husband to take my very-adorable-and-photogenic baby in the backyard with a pumpkin and snap some photos.

And boy did he deliver!

5 minutes later, I had these to drool over, print and frame, and post on my blog so the world grandmothers could enjoy them too.

Rhett missed out on this photo shoot since he thought taking a Sunday afternoon nap would be more fun....love it!

7 Months

Every month I say it, but I can't believe that my babies are growing so fast!  And every month becomes my new favorite age.  I love how the twins are so interactive.  They try to "talk" to us and squeal with excitement!  I love watching them explore and take everything in all the time.  They don't seem to interact with each other much, but they do like to go for the same toy at the same time!  Rhys also seems quite obsessed with Rhett's helmet.  She is always trying to grab it, lick it, play with it, etc.  She is so funny!  7 months is a great age...

Let's start off with a cute pic of the twins on their 7 month birthday!

Schedule: 

7:00 a.m.  Give Rhett reflux meds/Nurse Rhys

7:30 a.m.  Nurse Rhett/Rhys plays

PLAYTIME! (tummy time, read books, bouncer, practice sitting)

9:00 a.m.  Nap  (Rhys sleeps 1.5-2 hours/Rhett sleeps 1-1.5 hours)

*Rhett wakes and does therapy/play with mom while Rhys finishes her nap*

11:00 a.m. Nurse

11:45 a.m.  Lunch solids

PLAYTIME! (sometimes go on a walk, exersaucer, sit on back porch, books, etc.)

1:00 p.m.  Nap (Rhys sleeps 2 hours/Rhett sleeps 1-1.5 hours)

*Rhett wakes and does therapy/play with mom while Rhys finishes her nap*

3:00 p.m.  Nurse

PLAYTIME! (usually go on a walk and check the mail, tummy time, playmats, etc.)

4:45-5:15ish  Catnap (if needed.....babies take this nap maybe 5 days out of a week)

5:30  Dinner solids

6:00  Start bedtime routine (baths, books, swing)

6:30  Nurse

7:00  Bedtime

Sleeping:

We had a rough 3 weeks or so with the babies' sleep.  At the time, we had no idea what was going on, but now we know that teething was the culprit.  Thankfully, this phase has passed and we have our great sleepers again!  The babies usually sleep 12 hours at night, and anywhere from 2.75-4.5 hours during the day.  Rhys still loves her naps and bedtime and starts sucking her thumb just as soon as she lays down.  She is also now sleeping on her stomach 90% of the time.  Both babies wear sleep sacks for all naps and nighttime.

 Rhys loves her sleep sack

Rhett in his sporty sleepsack

Feeding:

The babies are still nursing 4 times a day (around 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 6:30 pm).  They have solids twice a day.  We have introduced a couple of new foods this month.  Some of our new foods are barley and spelt cereal, peas, carrots, green beans, and mango.  Sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, and oatmeal are still the favorites around here.  There are "meals" when the babies take only 2 or 3 bites and don't want any more, and there are times when I have to make more food because they can't seem to get enough!  I was worried about them eating enough and my pediatrician eased my worries.  She uses the motto, "Eating before one is just for fun!" to mean that anything before the age of one is just a bonus, and that they are getting the majority of their calories from breastmilk at this point.  The babies are also drinking a little bit of water after each meal.  I am still making all of the baby food, though it is getting harder and harder to keep up.

Sizes:

Rhett 

*weighs approximately 19 pounds

*9 month clothing

*size 2 diaper (size 3 at night)

*wears size 1 or 2 shoe (super WIDE feet!)

Rhys

*weighs approximately 16 pounds

*6 month clothing

*size 2 diaper (size 3 at night)

*wears size newborn or 1 shoe (TINY feet!) 

 What We've Been Up To at 7 Months:        

TEETH!  

Rhett has one tooth on the bottom and Rhys has both bottom teeth.  We suspected that Rhett was maybe getting a tooth because he was a little more fussy, clingy, drooling everywhere, etc. and he was waking in the middle of the night a couple of times.  And then the little white demon finally showed itself!  One day, randomly, I noticed that both of Rhys' bottom front teeth were in!  I couldn't believe it since she never showed any signs.  And wouldn't you know it, her teeth are so tiny, and actually much smaller than Rhett's.

Here are a couple pics.....excuse the food!  HA!  Tim took these while I was feeding the babies one afternoon.

 Rhett's first pearly white...

    Can you see my tiny teeth?

SITTING UP!

We are getting better and better at sitting up.  Rhys likes to play sitting up and I usually just put a boppy behind her to make her fall a little softer.  Rhett doesn't love sitting yet, but is getting better.  I have to remind myself that his helmet is heavy and it is hard for him to hold his head up straight, which makes sitting a challenge (and a workout!) for him.  But he is a trooper and working hard.

 Rhys sitting and playing with one of her favorite toys

Look at me!  I can sit up!

big kids sitting up!

Favorites:

Rhett - Loves bath time, going on walks, and sitting in his bouncer.  He would much prefer to sit still and just watch everything that is going on.  He loves to eat sweet potatoes, pears, and sip water from his cup.  He loves to be talked to and gets really hyper right before bath time.  His favorite toy right now is his turtle that plays music.

Rhys - Loves scooting around!  She is rolling everywhere and doesn't like to be still.  She loves music and books.  She likes to eat bananas, carrots, and avocado.  She is very independent and easy going.  Her favorite toy right now is her box of shapes (and she really loves the green square!)

Some of my favorite pics from this month:

sleepy girl sucking her thumb (and yes, she is wearing Rhett's hand-me down pajamas!)

Rhett and daddy on Aggie game day!

 Rhys in her stylish fall hat

just being cute!

sleepy Rhys fell asleep in the pile of laundry

we love watching Aggie football!

Mommy and Rhys

Excited to see what the next month holds!