4 months old!!

Yesterday the twins turned 4 months! I can't believe how fast time is flying by... but it always does. The boys are doing great! They had their Dr. appointment today and here is where they are at:

Ian
16 pounds
26 inches

Alex
14 pounds 8 ounces
25 inches


The appointment went good.. the shots were hard... Ian didn't cry on the first shot but did on the second one.. they only each had to get 2 shots. Alex cried almost the whole time we were there.. he didn't nap much today so he is WAY tired.
We just have to work more with Alex on getting him to hold his head up more and work with him on grabbing objects - he doesn't do it much like Ian does. We also have to take Alex to UofM to get his kidney checked... he was born with an enlarged kidney and he had it checked at 1 month of age and now we have to go again... he might have reflux where the urine back flows up into his kidney and that might be the reason for his one kidney to be oversized. They will have to shoot dye into his system to see where the urine goes.. poor little guy! So that will be within the next 2 months... other than that.. they are both really healthy!


Both Ian and Alex rolled over for the first time a couple weeks back but have not rolled over since but they are very active so I am sure they will do it again. They LOVE their exersaucers and the jumperoo.. it is so fun to watch them reach for toys and play. They love staring at eachother - it is so cute... they will lock eyes on eachother and just smile away. Ian loves to be naked... when I take his diaper off.. he gets really hyper and starts kicking away and screaming out of excitment - it is funny!! Ian still loves to be held a lot... not very content on his own like Alex. They both love to watch their video show called eebee - it is super cute and they get all excited when I turn it on. They both love to sit in the bumbo seats. Ian holds his head up much better than Alex does... but Alex is getting there.. I just think he is so layed back that it just isn't on top of his list of priorities.

Naps during the day are very much hit or miss... I will maybe get a 1/2 hour out of Ian in the mornings - Alex could very well keep sleeping but I need to feed them at the same time so I am usually waking Alex up for a feeding. In the afternoon.. same thing... sometimes Ian will sleep an hour.. just depends on the day and then they cat nap for like 15 minutes a couple times before bed. They go to bed roughly around 9:30pm and then sleep till amost 8am. They usually get up a couple times during the night but putting their binky in their mouth usually works. Ian still needs to be swaddled at night... we don't swaddle Alex anymore.

They still eat every 3 hours.. about 5 to 5 1/2 ounces at each feeding. They are in 6 month clothes now... still wear #1 diapers but Ian is going to be moving on from those soon!

They are starting to really giggle now... they love being tickeled on their neck - they really laugh when I do that. They LOVE their little floor exercises that I do with them and giggle away when we do those.

Alex has figured out how to kick his leg in the bouncy seat to make it bounce - I remember Brevin doing this too.. so cute to watch!

They both love bath time - I have a good system down in getting them both their baths - it's a bit of a process but it works out well and they seem to love sitting in the tub.. they just don't like it when I take them out and they really don't like me massaging lotion on them so I usually hurry through that part.

They both drool a lot which is why I always have bibs on them.. otherwise I am changing their outfits way to much because they soak through them!

They really are such good babies.. happy babies. Brevin is such a big help.. if I am getting dinner ready and a baby starts to fuss... he will go over to him and entertain them for me.. they both LOVE to watch their big brother play. Brevin will even do the floor exercises with me... he will take a baby and so will I and we do it together. It is also cute in the car.. not sure if Imentioned this or not but when we are traveling somewhere... one of the babies always sits next to Brevin (we let Brevin choose what baby he wants next to him). If a baby starts fussing.. he will just lean over and put their binky in their mouth and just wait till they calm down.. he is always keeping an eye on them. He is such an amazing big brother!!

We are starting to go out a little more with the boys... I will admit.. it is hard going out with both of them... I still have not gone to the store with both of them.. there are no carts to hold both babies - I could take the stroller but then there is no room for groceries.. so I am still trying to figure out that whole thing. I usually just stay home and Mike will go on his way home from work. I am anxious for spring - just to get outside more and go on walks.. play outside..etc!

We are truely blessed.. I know I have already said this but I will continue to say it over and over again. We are so thankful to God for all our boys.

Karate

Almost a year ago.. Mike and I enrolled Brevin in Karate.. mostly because we wanted to boost his self confidence...his preschool teacher actually told us that he was very much lacking in that area.. we knew this but didn't know what exactly to do about it and she brought up Karate so we thought we would give it a try. The first few classes were tough - he sat on the side of the room or on my lap and cried... buried his head in my lap... he kept saying he wanted to do Karate but soon as we got to class.. he instantly was scared and just wasn't confident in himself that he could do it... it came to the point where the instructor told me that it might help if I was not at the class with him - when I was there.. he wanted nothing but to sit on my lap.. so the next few classes my friend Josie took him (her son Nick is in the class also) - it worked.. he was doing the class and soon I was able to come.. without him sitting on my lap and crying. He now loves it and does SO well at it... this past weekend was a belt promotion where he had to do his routine to earn his next belt - he did great.. we are SO proud of him!! Here are some pictures of him in Karate!!

Brev receiving his new belt

Me putting his new belt on him

Brev with Sensei

The class picture.. Brev is right next to the only kid in the dark blue uniform - on your right when looking at the picture.

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU BREVIN!!!

First time out in the snow...

So yesterday it got up to over 35 degrees and it was sunny so... I decided to take all the boys out! Here is Ian all bundled up... he was not so sure what to think at first!

Ian LOVED being pulled around on the sled.. so much so that he fell asleep!!

Alex didn't want any part of being on the sled so he hung out with me in the backpack.. he fell asleep to!

Brevin also had a great time playing in the snow with his friend Nick... they built a snow-fort... they are so much fun to watch!

It was a great day!!

January 9, 2010

It is still very weird to be writing/typing 2010... it has been a while since I have posted. We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! The twins did so well staying at Grandma and Grandpa B's house... so well that they actually were sleeping 9-10 hour nights!! Christmas was so much fun... Brevin had a blast and he great with all the craziness!! The twins did well too.. if they got overwhelmed.. they just went to sleep.

We are getting back into a routine now... Brevin is back in school... he is still doing Karate and looking forward to playing soccer in the spring! We are working on getting the twins back into a routine also.. they have not been sleeping well at all.. getting up a lot during the night but last night they both slept 8 hours. Ian has decided not to nap during the day... he went all day yesterday with only 1/2 nap total... I thought night time was going to be horrible but he slept through... 10:30pm till 6:00am... Alex slept through also but we did have to get up twice to give him his binky.. we was stirring and starting to cry. Anyway.. we are getting there.. it is hard trying to get 2 to sleep through the night... but like I always say.. in blink.. they will be 5 and heading off to Kindergarten like Brevin!

I am really looking forward to this year... last year we did not make it up to Ludington.. to my parents cottage at all because of the pregnancy... I am so excited to take the whole family up there to hang out and hopefully relax a little bit.

I do love winter but honestly cannot wait for spring.. to get the boys outside and go for walks.. to go to Kensington park and hopefully get back into jogging.. just need to get a jogging stroller now for the twins. I am just itching to get back into exercising and get back into shape!!

The boys are growing SO fast.. their next appt is the last week in January.. can't wait to see how much they weigh!! They are in 3-6 month clothes right now and still wear #1 diapers but I honestly think Ian could go into #2 diapers.. he is a chunk!! Alex is still smaller than Ian but he is growing just as much! They still eat about every 3 hours.. drinking roughly 4-5 ounces at each feeding.. sometimes they go 4 hours inbetween but they are much happier if it's only 3 hours. They giggle now which is so fun and they smile a LOT.. they LOVE their big brother and love to watch him play... They are "talkers"... it is so cute when Mike and I hold them.. they look right at us and just jabber away.. like they are really trying to tell us something.. it is so cute! Ian is really becomming a momma's boy and Alex is more of a daddy's boy. Alex is still much more content to hang out on his own.. he still loves the TV and we have started putting the baby einstein movies in.. he will sit through the whole show and just smile and giggle away... Ian likes it too but he would rather sit on my lap and watch it!!

We think Ian is teething already... he drools a ton.. we have to keep bibs on him because he just soaks through his outfits!! He also will stick his fists in his mouth and just chew away so I am curious if he will pop an early tooth.... we will see!

Here are some recent pictures of the boys.