5 Months Old And Then Some

Well the girls are 5 months 2 weeks old today so I figured it's time to update the ol' blog.

We've had fun this past month. I've taken the girls on a couple shopping trips to craft bazzars with my mom and DJ's niece Adrianna came to visit us for the week of Thanksgiving. It's been fun getting out a little bit, although I still haven't truly gone out with the girls by myself.

They're both growing like crazy. Last time we were at the Dr. Anya was just over 12 lbs. and Ziva was just over 11 lbs. They just started eating a lot more so my guess is they're headed towards another growth spurt.

Anya is my little cuddle bug. I still call her my little pudding baby because when I hold her she just snuggles right in and is quite content just staying that way. While on the other hand Ziva is so busy moving around and looking at everything that she can't seem to find time to cuddle as much. It's very easy to make Anya laugh these days, you almost don't even have to touch her and she'll giggle. It's so cute! Ziva isn't laughing so much, but she's very physically active. She rolls herself over the minute I set her in the crib, and then she does these fantastic push ups so she can look around. Ziva also will stand on our legs when we hold her up and she seems to be very proud of herself when she does it.

They're both very sweet and fun to play with. We were really looking forward to having fun with them on Thanksgiving but Anya had a total melt down and wouldn't calm down enough to play. The only break we had was right when it was time to eat, and then when we were done she woke up and started crying again. We ended up leaving early because they were both tired and cranky. Oh well, I'm hoping that Christmas will be better but I'm not counting on it. :)

Six Months Old! Hurray!

Anya & Ziva's sixth month in this world started out with a big bang and a terrible Dr's appointment. They both seemed to know what was coming and started crying looooong before they got their 4 shots each. But we did find out that Anya weighs 13 lbs and 13 oz. and is 23 inches long. And Ziva is 12 lbs 8 oz. and 22 3/4 inches long. So they're slowly but surely getting to be about the same size. :) Little Anya is such a chunk now, and Ziva is starting to get little rolls of fat around her wrists, so cute!

They're both starting to recognize their own names and they're becoming more coordinated with their hands. Ziva can almost put her pacifier in her mouth by herself and Anya can take the velcro'd butterflies off her bouncy seat. They're both getting better at sitting up, and Anya is getting better at standing with help. They are both full of smiles and seem to be such joyful little girls. They smile and laugh ALL the time now and are a lot of fun to play with.

We're still nursing, which is always an adventure in patience. We talked to our pediatrician and decided to delay solids for another month. Once they're able to sit up better without support they'll be ready for solid foods. They still don't have teeth yet, but they're very drooly and put their hands in their mouths all the time so I'm sure teeth are going to be here soon.

We're hangin' in there. :P DJ is on vacation until after the new year so thankfully he's been around to help out and I've been able to get some rest. Which is much needed because the girls are getting over their first colds. Thankfully it's been a mild case of runny noses and sneezing and with some saline and extra momma's milk they seem to be doing a LOT better! Just in time for holiday festivities! We're planning to spend the day at my parent's house and hopefully we're able to create time for the girls to rest so that they don't get overtired and melt down like they did on Thanksgiving.

The Day of Firsts

Yesterday my girls were just blossoming so I thought I'd share.

Ziva rolled over for the first time by herself! I was so shocked, but I guess I shouldn't have been because she's been turning her head and arching her back to reach for her pacifier for the past week. I didn't see her do it, but I went to wake her up from her nap and she was on her belly sleeping! I was so happy and terrified at the same time! All the SIDS info warns about putting your baby on their back to sleep, so I was really worried about how I was going to keep her on her back now. But I called her pediatrician and she said that she might not do it again for some time, and also that there's a train of thought that if she can do it herself then she's probably strong enough to keep herself from sufficating. So I said a little prayer and put it in God's hands. Yikes!

AND... a few hours after that during a feeding, Anya reached out and grabbed Ziva's hand! And she kept staring at Ziva and Ziva's hand and let go and grabbed it again and again! She must have done it 4 or 5 times so I know she was trying to do it and it wasn't just an accident! It was SO sweet! Their first physical interaction! They've been interested in each other before but it only amounted to looking at each other, but now they held hands! It was so precious!

Yesterday just made my heart warm. :) They're growing and changing so fast I can hardly believe it.

Four Month Update

Well the girls are now 4 months 1 week and 3 days old!

They had a check up last week and everything looks good. Anya is now 10 lbs. 8 oz. and Ziva is 9 lbs. even. So Ziva is catching up! The pediatrician was concerned about the shape of Ziva's head, he was worried that she had a problem where some parts of the skull fuse together before the other parts and it can create a mis-shapen head. So he sent us to a surgeon who specializes in that kind of problem and she said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Ziva, that her head shape is most likely due to genetics and her sleeping positions. We knew that nothing was wrong with her, so we weren't worried about it, but we were relieved just the same to hear the news.

Each of the girls are really starting to show their own personalities and traits. Anya is still our little spit up queen. It makes me so sad every time she spits up and screams afterwords. I wish there was something I could do for her besides give her her meds and comfort her. So most of the time she seems to be a very serious little girl, but I think that's mostly because of her tummy woes. When she is feeling well she's smiley and has even started to giggle when we tickle her. She still loves her food and she loves to sleep. She's also started to grab at the toys hanging above her bouncy seat and will sometimes pull the ring that plays music.
Ziva wasn't the first to smile, but she's really making up for lost time! Seems like every time I peek down into her crib she's smiling back up at me. Just the slightest touch and she's spilling out her giggles and grinning from ear to ear! I've started calling her my little sparkler. Anya has been out of her swaddle for a while, but we just started letting Ziva sleep without it and she's doing pretty good. Only problem is that she moves around so much in her sleep that she turns herself in circles! We tried putting a blanket rolled up under her so that it would help with her head shape, but with all the moving she does it really isn't going to make a difference.

They're both now sleeping through the night, and by that I mean from about 10pm til 6 or 7am. So I'm finally starting to get a decent night's sleep most of the time.

In other news, DJ has switched back to night shift so we're making some adjustments. We've also bought a new car which means more freedom for me and the girls! Their car seats barely fit in our old car, and our double stroller didn't fit at all. So now we have a car where everything and everyone fits so now I can actually attempt to go out with the girls by myself! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm working up the courage to give it a shot. I'll let you know how that goes. :P

Three Month Update

Well the girls are officially 3 months old today! YAY! I've made it through what most people tell me is the hardest part, and I'm still walking, breathing, and forming complete sentences. Hurrah!

As of their last weight check on Sept. 5th Anya is 9 lbs 3 oz. and Ziva is 7 lbs. 2 oz. Anya is holding her head up really well now, and Ziva is still trying but isn't as strong as Anya. They're both smiling now and coo'ing which is really making our lives brighter and happier. I've had little conversations with each of the girls this past week, and DJ had a really nice long 'talk' with Ziva after one of the feedings. DJ thinks that Anya might be the first to walk but Ziva might be the first to talk. lol, it'll be a lot of fun to see.

We had fun this last weekend. An old friend from high school came over for lunch (Christina for those who are interested). Her husband made us this wonderful Indian meal with authentic bread and everything. It was delicious! It was really fun to catch up with them and find out how they've been getting along.

We also went to our birth class reunion. It was great to share birthing experiences with other new parents and see all of their cute little babies. It's amazing how different all the babies were! We shared breastfeeding experiences and talked about tips and tricks we've learned so far. It was great info and conversation. :)

This Friday I'm going to go get a pedicure with mom, it'll be my first one since the girls arrived and I'm really looking forward to being pretty again! Plus I'm really looking forward to my mom seeing the girls and how they've changed in just the past two weeks.

Babies & Zuccini

Well time flies when your feeding babies around the clock! Seems like the past 2 or 3 weeks have been an absolute blur.

The girls had their 2 month check up which included their first shots since leaving the hospital. They did ok for the shots, they cried, but that's to be expected. What wasn't expected was we learned that they weren't gaining weight the way they're supposed to. So now instead of just breastfeeding we have to do all this other stuff each feeding. And when I say other stuff I mean I breastfeed, then pump, then fortify the pumped milk with formula, then feed them that via bottle. Oh, and I found out I have a yeast infection in my nipple, so I also have to swab each of their mouths with some medication on a q-tip after each feeding too. So much fun let me tell ya! But the good news is that after one week of doing this they were both back to gaining weight like champs. We have another weight check tomorrow, but I'm sure they'll pass with flying colors. At the last check Anya was up to 8 lbs. 11 oz. and Ziva was up to 6 lbs. 8 oz.

In other news, I'm being bombarded with zuccini! Seems like everyone who comes to my house assumes that I'm in need of some. I realize that this is the NW and that zuccini grows great here, but good grief just because I didn't plant any this year doesn't mean I want to fill my fridge with it anyway! I've already made two loaves of bread and frozen away enough shredded zuccini to make 6 more loaves, but yet the zuccini keep coming. I think I'm going to have to put a sign on my door that says "No more zuccini!" They say if you live in the NW you either give or get zuccini. Maybe I have to plant some next year just to fend off those who like to give it. lol So does anyone have any good recipes for zuccini???

Oh Can't You See What Love Has Done?

As of the girl's Dr. appointment on Monday Ziva is 5 lbs. 10 oz. and Anya is 7 lbs. 7 oz. So they're growing well and doing great. The Dr. did give Anya a prescription for her reflux issues. He said that it may be interfering with her weight gain a bit, her growth was ok but not stellar this time. But to be honest I expected a slight slow down in growth with the transition to breastfeeding last week.

I added a song selection to my profile today by U2. This song has a definite spiritual impact on me. "Oh can't you see what love has done? What it's doing to me?" It just seems like the theme song of my life right now with the girls. I feel so filled with love for them, and in turn it makes me realize how much Christ must love us. Because as much love as I feel right now, I know that He loves us so much more and so much greater. How amazing!