Chaos Continues

Grandma gets unexpected kisses from a stinky puppy :)


Jilly and Jenna get silly



Jenna isn't ready to wake up from her nap

Jillian gets a taste of her sister :)

Jillian (L) and Jenna (R) practice sitting and reaching

Life around our household hasn't changed much in the last few days. We are continuing the daily battle of naps, which Jared and I are sorely loosing. :( I can't complain too much because they are sleeping pretty soundly for about 10 hours at night. During the day they usually have at least one solid 2 hour nap and then about a half hour to hour nap in the morning and late afternoons. I almost wish we could get on a schedule with just two long naps, one in the morning and another in the afternoon but am not quite sure how to do it with our current 4 hour feeding schedule.

I am also still trying to get the girls to roll over from their tummies to their backs. It seems like a couple months ago they could do that fairly easily...especially since they hated being on their tummies. Now that they like to be on their tummy for a while it seems as if they have lost the skill of tummy to back motion. I feel kind of bad for them because they become so defeated once they want to turn back over and can't because they are stuck. When do babies usually roll from back to tummy to back pretty easily I wonder?

Anyhoo, the girls have been down for about 20 minutes so I have about 15-30 to take a shower and get ready. I will leave you with the latest pictures and mosey on to the shower. :)

More to Come,

Jess

Life is Funny...Unless of Course It's Not

Jenna (L) and Jillian (R) with Momma!

Baby Prozac anyone? Yes please, I'll take two!

These days life is getting more interesting. Jillian and Jenna think everything is funny...unless of course it isn't. They are the most happy, laughing, smiling babies one minute and not a half a second goes by and they are crying big alligator tears and are in hysterics. What has happened to my sweet babies? The babies who used to take naps with no problem. All they needed was a Lovie and a pacifier and they were good to go for at least 2 hours or more? What about the babies who could swing in their swings endlessly or become bedazzled by the toy gym they lay beneath?

Jenna has been in her seat for 2 seconds too long!

Gone...those babies are long gone.

Jillian loves (briefly...they get bored with the toy they are playing with after about 10 minutes) her new toy that gives her more independence

The sixth month mark has brought with it a fierce independence streak for Jillian with a boost of dependence for Jenna. They are really fun to watch though. Jenna is really loving her ability to roll around lately. When she is under her gym she is constantly rolling from her back to her tummy. Wait...perhaps I should be more honest with that statement. She rolls from her back to her tummy and then she screams like a banshee until I nudge her back over after she has gotten herself stuck on her tummy. :)

Jilly's favorite thing to do right now is stand!

We are just so excited that the babies are finally laughing...that is right, laughing! The laugh we have been waiting so impatiently for has snuck up on us. At first we didn't even notice they were laughing because it wasn't what we had expected. It was more bursts of sound with the same tone....I think we were expecting those classic "baby, belly laughs." Now though, they are getting it down and everyone knows they are definitely laughing.

The funniest thing to them right now is the dog. Whether it is Shelby or Emma (the dog at my in-laws). They both love to watch them and they especially think it is funny when Shelby is being naughty and we have to reprimand her. :) Jared thinks that is funny, too.

Last night was the first time they laughed at each other. Jenna was under one of the toy gyms and I was sitting beside her with my legs crossed (I know it isn't politically correct...but just so you get the general idea I was sitting Indian Style). Anyhoo, Jilly was sitting in my lap and we were playing with Jenna. I was tickling her tummy. While Jenna thought it was mildly funny (she didn't laugh but she did give big ol' smiles), Jillian thought it was utterly hilarious. She let out a belly laugh every time I tickled her sister. I wish I could have gotten it on video for you but Jared was outside trimming our trees while he could steal a minute.

So an update on how sleeping unwrapped is going: it's not. :( The girls are just so used to being swaddled that they refused to sleep any other way. So, for now we are compromising. Only their bodies are wrapped (from the chest down) and their arms are free to move. I try to do about one nap a day with no wraps if I can. I guess it will just have to be a gradual thing instead of cold turkey like the doctor suggested. I am just thankful they sleep okay with their arms out...it is some progress...right?

Anyhoo, I am going to wrap it up for now.

More to Come,

Jessica

PS: I was shown the funniest video I have seen in a long time on YouTube. I know the majority of you won't find it as funny as I; however, I can't resist sharing it. I like it because it is a perfectly funny example of the frustrating experiences one tends to receive from employees whose main job is categorized as giving customer service...which they are boo boo with. Check out Bon Qui Qui and her hilarious antics.

Big Girls

Jilly swinging away

Jenna likes the lights that sparkle on her swing

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for hanging in there with us. Things have been and are just crazy lately. We received our new computer at the end of last week and it is just wonderful. The keyboard that came with it didn't work so HP is sending us another one...it is a good thing that our old keyboard plugs in just fine.

Also, Jared was able to salvage all of our pictures, videos and important documents on our old computer. Before we got the new one, he started messing with the old one and got it to work for about an hour one afternoon. While it was working (it would automatically shut down on him about every 20 minutes or so) he transferred all of our stuff to jump drives so that we could transfer it to our new computer once it came in. I was so relieved we were able to save our stuff. There were a bunch of videos and pictures I hadn't saved onto Snapfish yet and I would have been broken hearted had I lost them.

We got the hookup with one of the computer science teachers at work involved with our program and he volunteered to strip our hard drive so no one could steal info we had saved on it (like tax returns). I let him keep it after he was done so I think it might have been an even trade (I also gave him a liter of Big Red!)...besides, what am I going to do with a hard drive? I know computers better than some but not enough (nor do I want to know enough) to figure out what to do with a hard drive outside of a computer.

Anyhoo, the girls are getting big, big, big. Jillian is into standing lately. Not on her own...no way. But if you are holding her and you let her stand up she will straighten her legs out and hold them there for about 15 or 20 seconds...grinning like a crazy girl the whole time. :)

They are both "talking" a lot too. Here is a video of Jenna talking and eating.

Jenna is such a ham... I can't figure out where in the world she gets it. :)

They both are screeching like this quite a lot and it is funny to listen to; sometimes though, it is hard to tell if they are screeching with joy or are screeching with unhappiness. The joy becomes hate and discontent very quickly.

Both girls are doing really well with baby food, too. We have gone through Rice Cereal (which they both don't care for) carrots, sweet potatoes and this week we are eating squash. So far they have loved every veggie we have tried. I can't say that next week will be as successful since we are going onto the green ones...like green beans. :0 Also, they have finally moved up from 4 oz every 4 hours to 5 ounces...and I think we will move up to 5 1/2 ounces tomorrow. :)I like growth spurts....it is when they both finally eat like they are supposed to.

So today was our 6 month check up. I am trying to get my blog post in now because I know that in about an hour or two it will be a nightmare around here. The girls got another round of shots and they just don't react to them well at all. They get fevers but even worse is the crankiness. It is hard to describe but at times they are inconsolable. This lasts for about a day (fevers for about 36 hours) and then all is back to normal, thank the Lord.

The doctors visit went well though. Jillian and Jenna are 24 1/2 inches, 12.11 lbs and 24 inches, 12.10 lbs respectively. They have the same size head which I was surprised about...Jilly's head has always seemed to be a little larger than Jenna's...maybe it is just her chubby cheeks. :)

Jenna (top) and Jillian play before bedtime

The doctor has also given us the okay to move the girls from the high-calorie preemie formula to a regular formula. We have been waiting for that for a long time....the preemie formula breaks the bank!

On some not so great notes....the doctor says it is time to stop swaddling the girls. They are getting too old for it #1 (even with their adjusted age they are too old to be swaddled) and #2 it isn't safe anymore. Their room gets really hot during the day so we worry about them overheating but also being wrapped up the way they are they are able to turn over on their tummies. The problem is that they can't turn over to their backs again and they say that babies who sleep on their tummies are at a higher risk of SIDS. Our girls are at higher risk than usual because they were so premature...but when a baby can't roll over from tummy to back then that is when doctors worry about it. Once they can roll over easily from the tummies to their backs and their backs to their tummies, the risk of SIDS decreases dramatically. So...this is going to be a long few days of not being swaddled during naps or night time since the doctor thinks it is easier in the long run to quit swaddling cold turkey. So far it isn't going well...but this is only our first nap to try it.

Also, the doctor thinks it might be good for Jillian to see the head shaping doctors. She has a flat spot on the back of her head and it seemed to be getting better for a while but now it definitely hasn't. Her ears are lopsided. :( The misshapen head doesn't really cause development problems but I guess there is a link between severe sinus problems and misshapen heads later in life. So we are going to be making an appointment to see the doctors. The good thing is that doctors can now reshape a baby's head without surgery or invasive treatment. The bad thing is that Jillian (if the doctor thought it was necessary) would have to wear a series of soft helmets for about 3-4 months for 23 hours a day. Ick. I would have to come up with a way to decorate the crap out of that thing. Hopefully our insurance would cover it...most insurance companies do now so hopefully ours will. We need to do it this year though since we have already paid our maximum out of pocket family deductible and then some.

Anyhoo, more on the helmet development once we make the appointment and see what they have to say.

More to Come....

Jess

We're Back!

We are back and life is good. Well....most of the time. :)

The girls are bigger and more active than ever and therefore I have less and less time each day; especially when naps don't happen as they should. So, for now I am going share with you with some of my favorite pictures I have taken this week and leave you with a promise that I will be back with updates as soon as possible!

More to Come...

Jess

Jillian (R) and Jenna (L) are finding that Tummy Time isn't really that bad afterall

Jillian (L) and Jenna (R) are learning to sit with the help of Bumbo Seats we got from one of Jared's co-workers!

Jilly is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed while NOT taking a nap :)

Jenna has fun with her Lovie

Jilly (L) and Jenna (R) love to watch their mobile

Boo Boo Flake Computer

Boo Boo Flake [boo boo fleyk] A term to mean extreme dislike or dis contempt. Boo boo flake is worse than its counterpart of boo boo.

Boo Boo Flake. That is the only word I can use to describe our home computer. Jared got the computer for Christmas one year in between when he graduated high school and when we got married. About a year and half after we were married my Dad overhauled the thing and put an all new hard drive in. It worked REALLY well for a few years and then started acting up. We have had it repaired probably ten times and I think it is finally time we break down and buy a new one.

This is what I would like to do to our computer :)

It is bad timing to add a new computer expense to our list though. We have so many expenses lately from hospital bills, to formula and diapers, and just regular living. Ugh...when it rains it pours.

I am praying really hard though that I can take it to a computer shop and they can copy on to a jump drive or CDs all of the pictures and videos I had saved us the girls, the dog, family, Jared, vacations... I had put a lot of our photos on Snapfish but hadn't had time in the last few weeks to add the newest ones. I will truly be devastated if my pictures and videos are lost forever.

Anyhoo, in the meantime while we are trying to get a new computer I probably won't be posting much, if at all since I won't have a computer. I promise to post an update as soon as we are up and running again.

Wish us good luck on finding a reasonably priced computer and think good thoughts and prayers that I can salvage the photos of my beautiful babies.

Until then,

Jess

Catching Up

For those who have or have had babies, does it ever feel like you are in a strange time warp? The days seem long while you are living them...but then you look back and think, "WOW! Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday..."

Who is who?? Jillian (L) and Jenna (R) are getting big! I took a tummy shot for all you lovers of baby tummies like me. :)

That is how I feel lately. Every time I look at the girls they just seem so big! It doesn't help that life has been exceptionally hectic lately. Between my two part-time jobs, being a full time mom, a wife, and then doing all of the other things that go along with life, I feel pooped! :) In a good way though.

A new and exciting thing that has happened around our house is that the girls have started to eat carrots. We had been doing Rice Cereal and it wasn't working out so well. It wasn't that they couldn't eat it, because they definitely could. It was more about them not liking it very much.

The carrots are going along more smoothly though, hopefully next week we can try sweet potatoes or squash. There are still days where one or both of the girls would rather have a bottle (or nothing knowing how finicky our girls are about eating) but all in all after about 5 minutes of eating the carrots at dinner they get back in the swing and remember they like them. :)

Jillian says, "More carrots, please!"

Jenna is full after eating a big ol' batch of yummy, sweet carrots

Oh, Jillian has also been wanting to try and hold her own bottle lately. She still can't because she doesn't have very good hand control. Jilly and Jenna are just now in the last few weeks starting to reach for things. I have noticed that if she can at least hold my hand that is holding the bottle she does a lot better with eating. Does anyone remember when their little one started wanting to hold their own bottle? I am not sure why I didn't notice or think of her wanting to hold it before. According to my mom, I had an independent streak a mile wide. No....not me, right? :)

Also, do you think babies have a built in sensor for when it is time for the mommies and daddies to eat or be on the computer or do laundry? Every night like clock work the babies start to cry and cry as soon as we finish saying Grace for the evening meal. I am not kidding either...like clock work. Also, the last few times I have tried to blog I have had to do it either super fast because a baby(s) was crying or with a baby on my lap. Crazy... I can't figure out why it is but hopefully it is a phase that will pass. The dog does it to though...every time I am on the phone Shelby starts to eat her pillow bed. I keep telling her I won't buy her another bed but I think she knows I am bluffing.

Hang on...I have to go pick up Jillian. She is in hysterics.... Okay, I am back and Jillian says, "Hiya!"

Otherwise we are trucking along. I have a new work schedule that we are trying to adjust to....I work on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (I used to work Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday). I think it will work out well once the routine is established but this is our first week with it so we will see. Then the next few weeks are just hectic with vacations for my mom-in-law, not me :( ...and 6 month check ups.

Anyhoo, that is about all for now.

More to Come,

Jessica

How Time Flies...

I was looking over all of my past posts the other day and all I could think was how the big the girls are getting and how fast they got there. The first pictures and posts were so fun to look at and it seems like those babies are completely different from the babies I have now.

The girls are about 12 1/2 pounds now and are starting to wear a few of their 3-6 months clothes now. They are playing a LOT, especially with their legs and feet. They aren't reaching or grabbing for much yet but they sure like to kick their feet...especially if they can kick a noisy toy. They are getting more vocal as far as squeals and screeches...but we are still waiting on pins and needles for any sign of laughter. The laughs and giggles are there, I can see them in their faces and eyes, but they just can't figure out how to voice it yet.

Jillian (L) and Jenna (R) are nothing but smiles these days

They also like baths a lot more now, by the way. One of the older posts was about the babies and how they would cry if you bathed them. Now it is the opposite, once you take them out of the tub they cry. :)

Jillian gets a bath

Jenna gets a bath

We are still working on getting Jillian to sleep through the night, Jenna has slept through the night solidly for about a week now; however, Jillian has started to wake up about 5-9 times a night wanting her pacifier. Part of me thinks that she may not want to be swaddled anymore, but every time I try to put her down with out a swaddle she wakes up and won't go back to sleep. I have also tried to leave one arm out of the swaddle because she is a big time sucker; a pacifer, thumb, fist, finger...whatever is there she will suck on it. I was hoping that if I left her arm out she would find it during the night and suck on it so that she could soothe herself back to sleep...it hasn't worked yet.

We also still struggle with the eating. Cereal still isn't a regular thing as they just haven't been ready for it when we give it to them. We are actually going to try again tonight to see if another week has helped so we will see. The doctor has also prescribed a different acid reflux medicine for Jillian (since she is the one who has a harder time with eating) to see if it helps. She is gaining weight so she is getting enough to eat but it is really the bare minimum. We may end up having to take her to a GI doctor to make sure her tummy/digestion is working properly but hopefully the new medicine will do the trick and we don't have to go that route. My personal opinion is that she has an allergy to the formula we have her on. The doctor seems to think that even if it is true the preemie formula is still very important for them so we need to keep them on it.

All in the all we are in a new phase though. Whereas before I was always the entertainer, now occasionally I get to be the entertainee. :) Jilly and Jenna are so fun to watch when they are all smiley and happy and wiggling every which way... Here is a VIDEO I took that really shows off their cuteness. :)

More to come...

Jessica