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!