Sunday, January 6, 2013
Welcoming The New Year
2012 has come and gone, and we've just entered 2013. It is pretty hard to believe that Clara and Maia are already over 6 months old, 7 months and two weeks to be exact! Things are definitely starting to get a bit easier. A friend of mine who also has twins calls it "entering the sweet spot". And we'd have to agree. The babies are rolling over both ways, sitting up, crawling, eating lots of solid food, and, the best recently acquired skill, sleeping through the night. It took them a full 7 months, but it seems they've finally got it, the best Hannukkah gift! They're naps have become much more predictable too, and we're on a pretty good schedule which definitely helps keep us a bit more sane. December was a long month, with everybody in our house catching several different ailments. It started with a pink eye infection that all of us got, and then the little girls came down with some sort of intestinal bug causing continuous diarrhea and diaper rash for a full three weeks, what a downer! The culmination of our health challenges was a seriously annoying cold, that somehow only Lena was able to avoid. And poor Daniel also got the flu. After weeks and weeks of battling something or other, it seems we're all finally healthy, and ready to enjoy the new year!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Hello Winter!
It looks like winter has finally arrived in Minnesota. It's been a mighty fine fall with warmer temps. and some actually "hot" days, but the snow started falling this morning and it's oh so cold outside today. We brought Lena's snow boots up from the basement, but she was reluctant to put them on, so we sent her to school in tennies, with the boots for backup. Clara and Maia and I will most likely be staying in today, as the roads are pretty icy and dangerous according to Daddy who drove Lena in to Jardin this morning. Plus it's hard enough getting out with two babies, and now with the cold and snow, it seems like a daunting task that I don't feel like attempting today. Maybe tomorrow?
Anyway, there is enough to keep us busy here at home. Both girls are rolling over, and enjoy practicing their moves. Maia can roll front to back and back to front, so she actually rolls across the room if left unattended. Little Clara who seems to be a couple weeks behind Maia in everything still hasn't figured out how to roll over from back to front, so she pretty much stays put where we leave her. Both girls are also really enjoying the Johnny Jump Up and Play Station we've recently set up in the living room. Lena never really got the hang of jumping in the Jump Up as a baby, but the twins love to bounce bounce bounce!
We've started feeding Clara and Maia lots of different foods, including rice cereal, carrots, prunes, bananas, and even a little bit of empanada filling (which they loved!). So far we've been mashing everything up for them, and Maia seems to really love eating. Clara, again, a couple of weeks behind, seems to do ok with food, but isn't as excited to eat as her "little sister".
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Halloween by going to a Halloween Party down the street at a neighbors house, and then heading out into the hood for trick or treating. Lena dressed up as a lamb and had a very fun time collecting candy with her friend from school, Maya. They came back after an hour and a half with bags full of candy, which they counted on the living room floor, just like the big kids do. Clara and Maia also dressed up for the holiday, but didn't go out to trick or treat. They made some pretty cute peas in a pod those two!
Anyway, there is enough to keep us busy here at home. Both girls are rolling over, and enjoy practicing their moves. Maia can roll front to back and back to front, so she actually rolls across the room if left unattended. Little Clara who seems to be a couple weeks behind Maia in everything still hasn't figured out how to roll over from back to front, so she pretty much stays put where we leave her. Both girls are also really enjoying the Johnny Jump Up and Play Station we've recently set up in the living room. Lena never really got the hang of jumping in the Jump Up as a baby, but the twins love to bounce bounce bounce!
We've started feeding Clara and Maia lots of different foods, including rice cereal, carrots, prunes, bananas, and even a little bit of empanada filling (which they loved!). So far we've been mashing everything up for them, and Maia seems to really love eating. Clara, again, a couple of weeks behind, seems to do ok with food, but isn't as excited to eat as her "little sister".
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Halloween by going to a Halloween Party down the street at a neighbors house, and then heading out into the hood for trick or treating. Lena dressed up as a lamb and had a very fun time collecting candy with her friend from school, Maya. They came back after an hour and a half with bags full of candy, which they counted on the living room floor, just like the big kids do. Clara and Maia also dressed up for the holiday, but didn't go out to trick or treat. They made some pretty cute peas in a pod those two!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Lately
Well, so much for trying to keep up the blogging... Who knew taking care of three girls under the age of 28 months would be so all encompassing! We've been in survival mode since the twins were born in May and we're just now starting to come up out of the fog. This doesn't mean things are easy, but they are certainly getting better, surely but slowly as the little ones grow.
Clara and Maia are now four months old, and up to so much more than when they were just bitty infants. Both have learned to roll themselves over from their front to their back(Clara a month ago, and Maia just recently). Unfortunately they get stuck on their backs like turtles flipped on their shells and they don't know how to get themselves back on their fronts again. It's really fun to see babies learn new skills, and then do the action over and over again, just because they can.
The girls are also now sleeping in their own cribs in their own room, and doing a nice, albeit inconsistent, job of sleeping for 4 to 6 hours straight. Mom and Dad slept with the babies on their chests in their bed for the first three months, but were able to move the girls out on their own in order to get some much needed personal space. The transition went well, although it involved some crying and resistance from the babies. Each girl seems to like her own crib now, and they both go down to nap and sleep fairly easily after a bit of CIO training.
Lena is loving her little sisters. She hugs and kisses them several times a day, and just today she said she didn't want to go to school because she wanted to stay to play with Clara. Too bad baby Clara is too little to play with Lena, big sister would probably get bored in 10 minutes or so. But we can't wait until they're all a bit older and can play with each other and take care of each other. This is something we really look forward to.
Here are some pictures.
Clara and Maia are now four months old, and up to so much more than when they were just bitty infants. Both have learned to roll themselves over from their front to their back(Clara a month ago, and Maia just recently). Unfortunately they get stuck on their backs like turtles flipped on their shells and they don't know how to get themselves back on their fronts again. It's really fun to see babies learn new skills, and then do the action over and over again, just because they can.
The girls are also now sleeping in their own cribs in their own room, and doing a nice, albeit inconsistent, job of sleeping for 4 to 6 hours straight. Mom and Dad slept with the babies on their chests in their bed for the first three months, but were able to move the girls out on their own in order to get some much needed personal space. The transition went well, although it involved some crying and resistance from the babies. Each girl seems to like her own crib now, and they both go down to nap and sleep fairly easily after a bit of CIO training.
Lena is loving her little sisters. She hugs and kisses them several times a day, and just today she said she didn't want to go to school because she wanted to stay to play with Clara. Too bad baby Clara is too little to play with Lena, big sister would probably get bored in 10 minutes or so. But we can't wait until they're all a bit older and can play with each other and take care of each other. This is something we really look forward to.
Here are some pictures.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Welcome Clara and Maia
We know we haven't written in almost a year, but we're hoping our latest development gets us writing more again. We want to get this year documented as it is going to be quite an adventure...
Two weeks ago today, on Friday May 25th, we welcomed Clara Frances and Maia Lillian into the world. Clara was born at 5:47 pm. and her little sister Maia was born two minutes later at 5:49 pm. That's right, twins!
When we found out 6 months ago at our 12 week ultrasound that we were expecting multiples it was a huge shock. It had never even crossed our minds that we could have twins and it took us several months, if not the entire pregnancy, to wrap our heads around the fact that we were going to bring home not one, but two babies.
Well, now they're home, and slowly it seems as though it couldn't have been any other way. Lovely Lenabel is doing great. She loves loves loves her little sisters. She is of course a bit more sensitive than usual, but overall she is a very happy big sister.
Clara and Maia are acting like typical newborns, sleeping, eating, pooping, peeing, and occasionally, looking around to take in the new world. They were born at 38 weeks, and they are two weeks old today, so they are now today, full term.
The parents are exhausted but surviving with help from family and friends. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful network of people who love us and are willing to lend a hand during this challenging period. Caring for two newborn babies plus a toddler is proving to be quite a marathon, but there's health, love, and happiness, and we're thankful for that.
Two weeks ago today, on Friday May 25th, we welcomed Clara Frances and Maia Lillian into the world. Clara was born at 5:47 pm. and her little sister Maia was born two minutes later at 5:49 pm. That's right, twins!
When we found out 6 months ago at our 12 week ultrasound that we were expecting multiples it was a huge shock. It had never even crossed our minds that we could have twins and it took us several months, if not the entire pregnancy, to wrap our heads around the fact that we were going to bring home not one, but two babies.
Well, now they're home, and slowly it seems as though it couldn't have been any other way. Lovely Lenabel is doing great. She loves loves loves her little sisters. She is of course a bit more sensitive than usual, but overall she is a very happy big sister.
Clara and Maia are acting like typical newborns, sleeping, eating, pooping, peeing, and occasionally, looking around to take in the new world. They were born at 38 weeks, and they are two weeks old today, so they are now today, full term.
The parents are exhausted but surviving with help from family and friends. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful network of people who love us and are willing to lend a hand during this challenging period. Caring for two newborn babies plus a toddler is proving to be quite a marathon, but there's health, love, and happiness, and we're thankful for that.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
A Birthday Party For A One Year Old
Last weekend we celebrated Lena's first birthday with a big birthday party. Mama worked hard to create a very special event, complete with balloons, cupcakes, party hats, presents, and most importantly, so much love from family and friends. A first birthday only happens once in a lifetime, and we really enjoyed celebrating Lena's first year of life with us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)