We're Putting Shelby the Dog on a Diet

Jillian enjoys an after dinner treat

Jenna trying to figure out how to eat her popsicle

Jilly and Jenna can't decide if the yummy taste of the popsicle outweighs the extreme cold. I tried to show them how to hold the popsicle by the stick but they got mad every time I tried to help.

The last time I left you the girls were digging into the new table foods; inhaling every bite. The excitement with real food has been replaced with a fascination to see what happens to the food every time it gets dropped on the floor. Simple answer...Shelby eats it. Somehow the dog eating food on the floor is extremely entertaining. Especially for Jillian...that crazy girl dropped her entire plate over the side of her chair tonight.

Fortunately for us, as long as what is dropped isn't a vegetable, Shelby the Dog will eat it. She got lucky tonight with some very nice chicken. I still wish Shelby would have learned to point or howl at poo diapers so I wouldn't have to be the one to take the sniff test, but I will settle for Shelby being my trusty broom and mop. :)  I just may need to get the pooch out for a walk or two though...she's getting a bit hefty.

More To Come,

Jess

Twin Adventures

Jenna in blue and Jillian in red love to take walks. Especially to fun places like the park!

I am not sure what has gotten into us this last week but we have been venturing out... a lot. Maybe because we had a holiday off together (MLK Day)? Maybe because things are getting easier now that the girls are on table food and no bottles? Whatever the reason... I LIKE IT!

Last Saturday was great...Jared and I had a "grown up day." A friend came over and watched the girls and we went to an awesome hockey game and out to lunch. The next day after church we decided to take the girls to a park that isn't too far from our house. We strapped them into the stroller and walked there, they got more excited the closer we got to the park. I think they could sense the impending fun. And lots of fun they had, too. Their favorite was the swings! I took each of them down the slide a few times as well but didn't get much of a reaction.

Jenna has fun on the swings

Jilly has fun on the swings

On Monday we decided to take the girls out for ice cream at a really popular local place. There were so many crazy flavors so I made the mistake of deciding on vanilla for the girls. Jenna was somewhat okay eating the the vanilla. In fact, she seemed to like enough to be content; Jillian however, was only interested in my cone. Note that I didn't say Jared's cone... MY cone. I shared it with her for a while but she eventually took over. It was a big testament of my love because those who know me know that the cone is my favorite part. It seemed to be Jillian's too....minutes later I was pulling the butt of the cone out of her mouth after she crammed it in. :)

More to Come,
Jessie

Mommy's Little Garbage Disposals :)

Jenna has a conversation

Jilly enjoys her ravioli

Mommy feeds Jilly and Jenna feeds herself one of their last bottles (didn't know it at the time though!)

Jenna and Jilly hang with Daddy while Mommy makes a BIG Girl Breakfast

Jenna gets stuck between the wall and her exersaucer...don't worry, right after I took the picture I rescued her!

Jenna makes a funny face and Jilly goes for a toy

Jillian enjoys her first taste of spaghetti

Jenna and Jillian (and Shelby!) finish their dinner

Jenna likes her Mac-N-Cheese

Jillian gets a taste of her first dinner with Big Girl food. :)

Jenna is serious about her spaghetti

Jillian is a little ballerina as she stands on her tippy toes

Jenna reads The Velveteen Rabbit

Jillian makes a silly face




Can you tell what we've been up to? Eating!! That's what we've been up to. Since the last post Jared and I have delved into the world of table food and sippy cups. It is actually a GREAT world to be in. :) Sometimes I think just change and transition are made more ominous than they have to be...meaning I worrying things to death when there is really no need to do so.


The girls have taken to table food beautifully. In fact, they haven't had ANY baby food in over a week. On top of that, today is the second full day with no bottles....none...not even one when Jenna had a melt down this morning. The girls haven't taken to whole milk like I had hoped and will only drink Apple Juice and Formula from a sippy. They will sip a little bit on regular milk and water but they won't drink it. So I have to give them formula once or twice a day so they don't get dehydrated, we've had very few really wet diapers (like we are used to) since we stopped bottles all together. That's okay though....with us saving a few bucks on baby food (about $25-$30!!) and the girls only getting the equivalent of one bottle a day max, we have a little extra to stretch the table food budget to include things they are healthful and nutritious.


So what have the girls eaten so far?  Well...I will tell you:


Cheddar and Broccoli Crock Pot Chicken with rice and diced fresh peaches
Mac-n-Cheese with peas and carrots and pears
Spaghetti with meat sauce and cooked carrots
McDonalds chicken nuggets with mixed veggies and orange slices (veggies and oranges from home)
Chicken & Carrot sticks, cheese cubes, oranges
Cheesy Tuna Casserole with veggies and diced bananas
Beef Ravioli in tomato sauce with green beans and diced kiwi
Spaghetti with meat sauce, steamed zucchini and oranges
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy with Turkey and veggies


So that is what I can remember. :) I am proud to say that both girls like all kinds of food and at this stage aren't showing in picky eating tendencies. I am sure that will change but for now I am enjoying seeing all of the foods they will eat.

It is pretty funny though because true to their nature Jenna dives into every meal with both hands making as much mess as possible and Jillian delicately picks each bite of food up, eats in groups and makes as little mess as possible...preferring her hands to be wiped as she goes.


I know this post has made you very hungry so before I sign off I have to more things to tell you. 1) Jenna finally got her second tooth. It is on the bottom next the one already there...it took FOREVER to come in, poor baby.  2) The girls had the first professional haircuts! The tufts were getting pretty unruly so Jared and I took them last Sunday to Great Clips right around the corner. They did a "bang trim" for $5 each and the stylist was nice enough the trim the crazy edges around their ears. :)


More to Come...
Jessie

Big Messes

Jenna (top) and Jillian (bottom) are transitioning to table food. Here we have scrambled eggs with cheese, which in latin means BIG MESSES.

Jenna practicing her coordination and balance

Jillian is being sneaky... or at least that is how her face makes her look.

My goodness. What a blessed but busy holiday! I feel like I might need a vacation or something. Between constant family gatherings from the 24th to the 27th, to working at home while the office was closed...I feel like I could be Rip Van Winkle and sleep 100 years. No...I couldn't sleep that long even if I wanted to, I have two beautiful girls who take turns putting their names down for the "Keeping Mommy Awake All Night" sign up sheet. ;)

So I haven't posted much over the holidays...I will try and catch you up on the many comings and goings of Jillian and Jenna. The girls are one, they are close to 17 1/2 pounds and roughly 28 inches long. They are taking two naps a day (morning and afternoon...except for today of course since I am trying to do something online) and eating three meals a day, three bottles a day, and protest much of it. :)  We've been doing some finger foods like Cheerios and the things Gerber makes (like the crunchies) but mostly it was baby food in the jars. They've been satisfied for the most part until about a week ago. Jillian has always spit her food, she thinks it is funny; but, lately Jenna has started to do it as well. Jenna's isn't so much of a spit as a push out of what just went in. They are very into foods they can feed themselves with so I am taking the spitting and head turning as a clear signal that they are finally tiring of jarred food and want the real thing. Which is good...the doctor wanted them on all table food by 15  months and once they are on more table food we can (carefully) stop with the formula. Jenna just recently got the OK to go off her Iron Supplement so we are going to have to watch her when we do away with formula and make sure she doesn't relapse back into the anemia she left the NICU with.

For some reason, table food and independent eating just seems like a seriously daunting task to me. I am not completely afraid they will choke but am more afraid of the outrageous messes babies make. I have seen the pictures of one kiddo enjoying spaghetti...I can't even fathom the horror of a mess two babies would make.

Also, for Jared and I, our eating habits and preferences have been put so far to the back burner that they are hanging off the stove.  Formula and baby food is expensive, especially with two, and the amount of baby food we were/are feeding them. Jared and I went from grilled chicken, fresh fish and veggies to hamburger helper and other highly processed meals with obscene amounts of sodium and trans fat. I don't want the girls to eat that.  I am not saying they never will....or we won't ever feed them that, but I feel very strongly that the food they eat while they are so young makes an impression on their future dietary choices. I want them to be exposed to healthful foods so that they will like it...unlike their mother... who could eat fast food every day (or several times a day) and be completely content.

So my task now is to find foods that we can all eat, that are healthful and not insanely expensive. I feel proud of myself now for the coupons I cut, planning my shopping around the coupons, finding extra sale items, etc. But the fact of the matter is healthful foods are just plain expensive.

The next item that scares me away from independent eating is just the "how to." Do I start slowly, switching out some formerly pureed food to soft chucks? Do I stop buying baby food and make the switch all at once?  What do older babies like to eat anyway? I doubt I could give them a sandwich and them know what to do with it. Are the Gerber Graduate meals a waste of money or are they are good transition between baby food jars and table food? Am I going to be eating spaghetti, chicken nuggets and macaroni for the next three years?  I am sure I am making things harder than it has to be but for some reason the big decisions moms have to make are the hardest for me, especially when it comes to transition and change. Maybe I just don't get to see other moms agonize over the same transitions and I am not alone...hey...that sounds good....I will go with that. Even if it isn't true.

 Moving on...

The girls are getting really good at being mobile. They are very fast crawlers and are starting to cruise the furniture. I am a little afraid that they won't walk...they have absolutely zero interest in walking behind something or me holding their hands and supporting them while they walk. They prefer crawling...everywhere. I hope they grow out of that eventually.

Oh...Jillian and Jenna wanted me to tell you that they LOVE to dance. Anytime they hear a funky beat, whether it is music from a toy or a CD or tv...they stop and "dance." It is the cutest thing ever.  I am glad about it, too. Their daddy isn't really into the fine arts so I love that right now they have an interest in music and dancing and patterns and colors. :) Hopefully it will stay that way. 

So one quick thing before I sign off. I 've been avoiding this post but it has to be done. The girls are getting bigger and more busy every day and I think you can tell by the time between posts that I have less and less time on my days off, meaning I don't post as often as I would want to. I have loved every minute of the blog, being able to share stories, updates and and picture for everyone is so neat and I know that a lot of you really enjoy it and appreciate it since you live so far away. However, once the girls start walking I will be signing off and taking down the blog.

I want to wait until the girls walk because this blog has been a really great way of chronicling Jilly and Jenna's  first year. There is a company who will take all of the posts and pictures and bind it in a book. Since I didn't have time to complete a traditional baby book, the blog book is going to be a gift to them. I want the announcement of their first steps included so that is why I chose to stop there...plus, once the girls are walking I will have less time than ever.

So...obviously the blog is still going to be updated for the next couple months. This isn't my last post by any means, but I figured the warning was due for those who have enjoyed as much as I have. One thing to note: I am on Facebook and somewhat active. I would imagine that once the blog has ended I will be more diligent to post "status updates" and pictures of my family. So, if you are on Facebook and we aren't "friends" search for me as Jessica Rehder Winter. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about...you have a couple months to google it, figure it out, get your profile up and friend me. It is a really good way to network and keep in touch with friends and loved ones (even if you live less than 20 minutes from me and come over during your lunch to play with the babies once a week). ;)

More to Come,
Jessie

We're Still Here

Mommy with Jenna and Daddy with Jilly enjoy Christmas with family

Jilly (back) and Jenna (front) weren't really into opening packages...they did like the bows though! ;)

Jilly and Jenna

Wow are the days ever busy!! Between working at home this last week and two little twinkees on the run I can't seem to catch my breath, let alone update the blog.

I promise to post a real update soon but in the meantime I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! We had lots of fun with friends and family. Jillian and Jenna especially enjoyed their visit with their Grandpa Marty while he was here the last 10 days or so.   They were very sad when he left to fly back home to South Korea today. :(

I promise there is More to Come...
Jessica

Happy 1st Birthday Jillian & Jenna!

Jenna (White bib) and Jillian (pink bib) enjoy their cake!

Happy Birthday Babies!!
I can't believe it has been one whole year since the girls were born. The first 5 months or so went really slowly, the tasks with feedings and diaperings overshadowing the joy of parenthood at times. Especially the first two months the girls were home with round the clock feedings....but once the girls turned about 6 months old things began to get super fun and it seems time just flew by. Jillian and Jenna became more interactive and expressive; their schedules got better and things got easier all around. Not that the first 6 months were awful or terrible, they were just...challenging.

So we had a big ol' birthday party yesterday. Probably a good thirty-some odd people. I think the number of people was overwhelming for the girls at first but they did really great. Jenna, of course, blossomed with the attention and soon stole the spotlight with her smiles, silly faces and vocal expressions. Jillian wasn't as comfortable with the attention and I held her a lot of the time. Out of the two Jillian is more shy and reserved when it comes to people outside of her small radius of a comfort zone. She warms up after a while but still doesn't like big crowds.

After everyone arrived we opened some awesome presents and then had cake. The cake was just hilarious. True to form Jenna enjoyed hers thoroughly. She had it everywhere...nose, eyes, belly, hands, face, legs.  She was just a ham, too. Once she figured out everyone thought she was funny she just kept trucking along, shoving cake in her little frosting covered mouth. :) Jillian wasn't crazy about the cake. She got messy but not nearly as much as Jenna; and while Jenna finished her entire piece of cake (thata girl!!) Jillian left more than half. Now, if I were to give her another piece of cake while no one was looking or after the crowds left I would fully expect her to look like Jenna.  It is funny how a child's personality forms so early and how differently personalities of siblings form. They are individuals for sure!

To that effect...Jared and I had decided earlier in the day that we would ask everyone to sing the Happy Birthday song twice, meaning to each baby individually. I actually got the idea from the reality show John and Kate Plus 8. They sing to (or used to) each of their kids separately, too. So when it came time to sing we asked for two songs and were pleased when everyone happily agreed. Actually....we ended up singing three birthday songs. :) My step-dad's birthday (Glenn) is the same day. I have never asked him but if it were me I wouldn't appreciate me stealing the day! Not only did Jared and I get married on his birthday (12-20) six years ago but we had our first kiddos on his birthday, too. We (sort of) surprised him with his own cup cake and song. :) I had told Jared earlier in the day my plan to give him his cupcake after we sang to the girls and he accidentally announced it when I was asking everyone to sing the individual birthday songs to Jillian and Jenna. In the end I think Glenn appreciated it though. :)

So after everyone left the party my Mom and Glenn stuck around and helped us pick up a little. My mom helped me take tags off of all the sweet clothes we got so I could wash them. Glenn held Jillian and helped her rock on her rocking horse (Glenn handmade each of the girls a rocking horse!). Katie held Jenna, Jared cleaned up cake and cups. After they left the girls were ready to eat and be put to bed...they were soooo tired! I was too...the girls were asleep by 7:15 at the latest and the only thing I remember after that is Jared waking me up at 9:30 to get ready for bed. :)

Jenna (in polka dots) and Jillian (in daisies) are dazed and ready for bed after their big girl party.

Whew...we needed a good rest. This week and weekend are going to be hugely busy. My Dad comes home from Korea on Christmas Eve (woot! woot!) and then we spend the 25th, 26th and 27th with different families each day. I am looking forward to it. Even though it is the girls' 2nd Christmas, this one will be even more special since it will be their first Christmas at home. Last year they were only 5 days old in the NICU. We did get to hold them for the first time on Christmas Day so that was such a sweet gift, but now I am glad to be able to celebrate the whole day with them and be thankful for the healthy, happy, active one year olds they've become!

Merry Christmas to All!!!

More to Come...
Jessie

PS: Check out ALL the birthday photos with THIS LINK at Snapfish.com. Remember Snapfish is free to register with no obligation to register so there is no reason to not sign up and look if you want. Also, if you've forgotten your password you can click on the link and take the steps to retreiving it.

Not Now Mama, We're Busy...

Jillian crawls into her exersaucer to retrieve some of her favorite toys.

Jenna loves to be held and she loves to stand. :)

I can't help but think lately about the GINORMOUS changes the girls have made over the last year. They are 8 days away from turning one year old, can you believe it? It is always amazing to me what milestones humans accomplish in their first year of life. Jillian and Jenna started out as babies who were barely 3 pounds when they entered this world. They couldn't breathe or eat without assistance and couldn't be held safely until five days after they were born.  Now, they are big girls who can crawl with ease, stand, scoot, feed themselves and voice their opinion. They've also morphed from cute, little baby lumps to the most busy girls I've ever met. :)

I don't know that I've ever met two kiddos who like to play more! They love crawling from room to room, reading books (especially the book held by Jillian above that shows her pictures of people "Who Love the Baby" (her).  They also love to listen to music and Jillian likes to dance every now and then (which means she will either rock back and forth or shake her arms). Another favorite is to bang toys together to see how noisy they can get. :)

They are getting really good at finger foods too. Take for instance this morning: they each had half a pancake broken into tiny bits and they also each had a quarter of a banana cut into small pieces. This was the first breakfast ever where they fed themselves. :)

I remember when the girls were little and other parents with multiples would constantly remind me that "it gets better." I can agree. Not that the newborn/infant age was bad or boring. But as they get older things have a way of getting easier. Of course I am still the same amount of tired--I traded babies who would sleep all day and be up at night for babies who sleep all night but are constantly crawling in opposite directions during the day. :) I had hoped that chasing after them would assist with my effort to loose the rest of my baby weight but so far it isn't working. Of course... I suppose making an effort would involve working out and eating right (neither of which I have time for but figured I should be honest).

On the whole though, the last several months have been really great and lots of fun. I will be sad to see this phase end but I know a new phase is right around the corner and perhaps I will be surprised at how much I will enjoy it. :) I guess I am just hesitant to see a good thing change.

So... I decided to come up with some new statistics for you like I did in the beginning, since curiosity abounds. :) The girls are eating less bottles/formula everyday but you should see the faces of the cashiers at the grocery store when I bring my shopping cart LOADED with baby food. :)

Here we go (this is for both kiddos together):

6 bottles a day (3 each) at 6 ounces of formula for each bottle is 36 ounces a day, 252 ounces a week, 504 for two weeks and equals to 3-4 cans during a two week time frame.

We go through 2-3 boxes of baby cereal during a two week time period.

We go through 82 jars/tubs of baby food during a two week time period (that includes snacks, lunch and dinner but doesn't include things like Cheerios, Cereal Puffs, Yogurt, Juice, and other baby finger foods).

We use about 130 diapers in a two week time frame which averages to about 9-12 diapers a day.

We go through 84-88 bottle liners during a two week period.

We run our dishwasher at least once every day.

I do laundry for the girls 3-4 times a week depending upon how many times someone spit up or a diaper leaked. :)

All I know to say here is

"Thank the Good Lord for coupons." :)

More to Come,

Jessica

Jared, Jillian and Jenna root for the undefeated NO Saints! Woot Woot!

PS: I make no claims to be mathematically sound in my calculations...however, before emailing me I would advise you to review the list of things I do in one day before pressing the send button. :)