My Babies are Nine Months

Maxwell and Harper are 9 months old. I think this has been my favorite month so far! They are really becoming the funniest, little people. Real people! They are becoming so individual. One of the best part of having twins. When people have one baby, they worry about their baby meeting the developmental milestones and are constantly comparing their baby to other babies. Having two babies at the same time has really made it clear that babies are individuals. They each have their different strengths. I love seeing their different personalities.

The babies have their 9 month checkups on the 18th so I will update with their weights and heights later. Hopefully they are out of the 7th percentile for height! Ha!

Max is our whiny needy boy. Jeremy swears that I have created a monster. He just loves his mama! I have to admit that I don't hate this. I love that he wants to snuggle with me. However, the not being able to leave the room without him shouting for me is a tad inconvenient. When we go anywhere, he is a bit clingy...I think the separation anxiety is in full force.

Max is such a curious guy. He is into EVERYTHING! He easily is down the hall within a few seconds. Which means anything remotely at his level...will be investigated and destroyed. He can pull up to his feet on pretty much anything. (He has even tried the bare wall with some success.) He can get to his knees in the middle of the floor. I think he is close to at least standing on his own for a long period of time. For now, he can stand for a few seconds before he realizes and sits down.

Max has FOUR teeth. He is constantly feeling his top teeth with his tongue. He also loves to give us kisses. This is by far the BEST thing he has learned. He doesn't give open mouth, slobbery kisses. He really puckers and leans in. I have video from when he first started it but now he is a pro! Love it!

Max is a pickier eater than he used to be. He isn't a huge fan of veggies. Even his tried and true fav from "back in the day", green beans, is getting snubbed by the boy. But he loves to eat anything and everything else. If it is fruit or a dinner puree...he will "mmmmm" all throughout the meal. He is also really good at feeding himself. He loves the puffs, crackers, mangos, carrots, and bananas. We haven't incorporated too many other real foods yet. He has a bad gag reflux so I am being slower with him in starting Stage 3 foods. He is good with all Stage 3 fruits and veggies but the meals with pasta and larger chunks bugs him. He makes an awful face and pushes it out or chokes. Such a dramatic boy!

He wears size 3 diapers. Because of his short little legs, he can still wear 3-6 month pants and 6 month pants. But the majority of his clothes are 6-9 months. He can wear 9 month clothes too but they are a bit big. He is an awesome napper during the day! He takes a thirty minute to forty five minute nap in the morning and then an hour to two hour nap in the afternoon. But...night sleeping isn't his specialty. He is still a good sleeper but just not the same as his sis. He will sleep from about 7 or 8pm to 5 or 6am. But he wakes about 2-3 times at night for paci replacement or a little love pat.

Now for our sweet, happy baby girl. She is literally always happy. I am not exaggerating. This girl is always smiling even when she is so exhausted. She loves everyone and knows no stranger. She is so laid back. She just goes with the flow and is a free spirit. I love watching her explore her world. Everything is funny. She cracks up over anything.

She is also quite the explorer, like her brother. She can pull to her knees but isn't quite as brave to pull herself to her feet. She does love standing at their activity table. Her favorite toy is her baby doll. She immediately grabs it pulls it in for a hug and a kiss. The cutest thing! She likes to help her brother get into trouble. She usually plays lookout or giggles at his attempts for crazy stunts. The other day, she was racing after her brother crawling down the hall. She could hardly crawl because she was giggling all the way. I love those moments!

She still only has her two teeth. She has been licking all around her mouth lately. It has created this awful dry skin rash around her mouth. It will be better in morning and then by the end of the day the rash is back. If you have any remedies besides Vaseline...I am all ears! She also gives the best open mouthed, slobbery, nearly licking kisses! Although messy, just as sweet.

Harper loves all foods. She isn't picky. She is also really good at eating the chunkier foods. She does not gag or make strange faces. She loves feeding herself. She tries to grab the spoon to feed herself. She is also a pro at the sippy cup now and this is new. I have been trying to train them on all sippy cup types and she has finally been successful with one kind. Max is still trying.

Harper wears size 3 diapers and is mainly in 9 month clothing. She still wears quite a bit of 6-9 month clothing too. Her chunky little legs prevent her from wearing some of the 6-9 month pants though. I love those thunder thighs. She is also an amazing sleeper! She is not a big fan of napping...always afraid she will miss something. But at night...she crashes! She could probably sleep longer but we usually wake her up with Max in the morning. She doesn't need comforting at night. She also has given up the pacifier and never uses it anymore.

9 months!!!

The outtakes

Daddy loves to dress us in the morning!

Ready for school, Dad!

Celebrating St. Patty's Day

Love that table!

Our first swing at the park

Swinging at the park

It was fun!

Harper kept wanting to look at the ground. 

We got to ride in the cart for the first time!

We also got to eat in highchairs at the restaurant for the first time!

We love to read!

We are just too cute!

Harper on lookout for Max's shenangians

I love my Grampa!

More adventures

First wagon ride. I love how Max is holding on and Harper is relaxing like a lady.

Bounce house fun at our friend, Penny's 3rd birthday party.

We are beyond blessed to get the opportunity to watch these angels grow and learn. I sometimes feel unworthy of them. My heart could explode from all of the love they have brought into our lives. Gosh! I will stop gushing.

I have started to plan their first birthday party! WHAT?!!!! Yep. In three months. Crazy. Talk.

-Lisa-

Update on Mommy and Daddy

Lisa:
I go back to see my thyroid doctor in a couple weeks. I wish I could give this amazing update that all symptoms have been relieved and I feel 100% again. That is not the case.

Granted, I don't feel as awful as I did before seeing Dr. Sokol back in February. I was placed on Synthroid 100mg once a day.

The one thing I was hoping this would help was my weight. I have been running or walking and watching what I am eating but still putting on weight. I have lost ONE pound! That. is. it.

I am still overly tired. My babies are not the cause of this. They sleep. I never wake up rested even after 7-8 hours.

My skin is getting better. It used to be so dry and either the medicine or the warmer weather and gallons of lotion are helping.

I am looking for a job. I should probably be panicked at this point that I haven't found anything. But I am not. Jeremy is. Ha! I put in my resignation at South Middle. I am looking for a job within education or able to use my education expertise in a non-classroom setting. I want to be able to spend more quality time with my family. I am also sick of being stressed out about work. I need a couple years to be able to be a better Mom. That is more important than being a stellar teacher at this point in my life. I am sure I will go back to teaching because I do feel like it is something I am good at. But who knows?

I have applied to a million different places. I haven't heard back from many of those. I am starting to doubt my gutsiness--(is that a word?) I know God will provide. He always does. I get paid through August. But I really would like to know what I am doing for a job after June 5.

Jeremy:

He loves his new job. He is happier. He spends more time with us. So therefore, I love his new job. I wish I could find something that made me as happy as he is. He is good at this job too. So proud of him.


I wouldn't leave a post without the babes. Here they are in their new outfits from their Nonnie and Grampa.

-Lisa-

Same In As Out!

I have loved seeing other creative mommies do this Same In As Out photo op. I thought...what the heck?!

So, today we celebrate 36 Weeks, 5 Days Out...the same they were In! Crazy talk! Seriously!

-Lisa-

8 Months & New Life Chapters

Another month. They are a measly 4 months away from being ONE! I also have to admit that I have been searching Pinterest for ideas for their first birthday party. Our house is too small to have everyone here and the twins won't really be ready for the full out bouncy house birthday yet. So we are thinking at having it at nearby park. That way there are activities and it is large enough for everyone. Although I really don't want them to grow up so fast...I am excited about their very first birthday!

Max is a crazy person. Seriously. He is into everything that he shouldn't and will magically be across the room within seconds of looking away. He is obsessed with the foam that we put around the edges of our coffee table. He wants it off the table and in his mouth. We tell him no. He shakes his head no to us and giggles. How do you get mad at that? He is too funny. He loves to stand at the activity table and fight Harper for the best buttons to push. He babbles nonsense a lot. Lots of "Dada" "Mama" "RaRa" "Nana" and squeals.

He has been a little under the weather lately. Horrible diaper rash from cutting TOP teeth. (He has some large bumps on his top front gums.) He hasn't been sleeping well and is just overall not his happy self. Hopefully he will be over this fussy stage soon. It has only been a few days but I want my sweet, smiley boy back.

He loves food! His favorites are still fruit. Most recently he loves the mixed fruits. He also is getting pretty good at feeding himself. He likes the little puffs and has just learned how to make hand to mouth connection. Granted, our dog, Bella, still gets her fair share from him, but he is doing well. He wears 6-9 month clothing for the most part. The 9 month clothes are a little big and he still fits into most of his 6 month clothing. He wears size 3 diapers. I don't know exact weight but by just holding him and weighing on our scales...he is around 17.5 pounds.

Harper is the happiest baby. She is so smiley, snugly, and loving. She gives big open mouth kisses and melts my heart with her facial expressions. She is the sweetest girl. She is also a girl on the go but hasn't quite mastered crawling all of the way. She sometimes gets so excited that she is moving that she head butts the ground which isn't her favorite feeling. She can still get where she wants to go and has also developed an obsession with the foam on the coffee table. (Been watching Max too much!) She loves to play. She gets so excited that she flaps her arms and squeals when you do about anything. So cute! She also talks quite a bit and I swore the other day she said something that resembled "Max".

She has had a perpetual cough for a few weeks. Never a fever. She even seems to feel fine. It is slowly getting better which is good. I am just ready for winter to go away so they can stay healthy longer. She has her one and half (I say half because it is just barely peaking through) tooth on the bottom.

She is an eater. She can eat Max under the table highchair. She is more of a veggie and dinner fan. She loved the chicken and noodle puree and also a big fan of squash. But I don't think we have found a food she doesn't like yet. She is not as sure about feeding herself. It is like she doesn't want to get her hands dirty. She will pick up a puff and look at it in disgust before throwing it on the ground for Bella. However, she likes the puffs but wants me to feed it to her. Silly! She wears 6-9 month and 9 month clothing. She can sometimes fit into 6 month clothing but for the most part they are too small now. She wears size 3 diapers. Again, not a complete accurate weight on our scales but she is close to 18.5 pounds.

Helping "Grandma" Anne celebrate her 90th!

We kinda like bathing together!

"Harps"

Miss Harper is a happy girl!

Just hanging out

Max getting into everything!

He loves getting into the diaper stash

Unhappy?

What? It wasn't me!

8 month pictures

Outtakes tell it all

Babygate was installed!

Playing together

On a run with Mom

They both amaze me everyday. I just never knew this kind of love existed.

But I am tired. I think this stage is more difficult than the newborn stage. I don't have nearly the amount of time to keep up with housework and work-work. They definitely run us ragged but wouldn't have it any other way!

You would think that having two humans to take care of and support would prevent us from making huge life changes. Nope! This is Jeremy's last week at his job of nearly 11 years. He is going to be a sales manager for a local sock company. Yep, socks! He is going to help grow the business and hopefully make a lot more money. He has always carried the insurance for the babies so now we are figuring that out. The sock company is fairly new and he will be their ONLY paid employee.

On top of that uncertainty...I turned in my resignation to my school that I have taught at for 8 years! Am I crazy? Possibly. I will still need to work but am looking for a job still using my education degrees but in a capacity that doesn't involve the stresses and grading of a regular teacher. I am hoping to find something and the pressure is on now.

So onto new life challenges. It never stops. Jeremy is really excited and to be honest...just turning in my resignation felt good.

-Lisa-

Prayers Please

I have a request. One of our dearest friends' baby boy is in need of prayers. He is only a couple weeks older than the twins. He has a hernia that should have been detected on ultrasound...but wasn't. It wasn't caught until nearly 6 months after his birth. It requires surgery. However, with his lung capacity being 50% because of the hernia...he is struggling with respiratory problems. He has been in and out of hospital. He is no intubated. I know that his parents are stressed and worried. I can't imagine the pain they feel for their sweet baby.

Please pray for Baby Walker! He needs to be well for 4 weeks before surgery is an option but he needs to get well first. 

-Lisa-

Stop to Smell the...

I was going to title the post "Stop to Smell the Poopy Diapers" but was afraid no one would want to read that! The whole purpose of this rambling post is to cherish the time that we have.

Last weekend, our church had a baby dedication for all of the new babies in the last year. The dedication is for us to publicly announce that we will raise Max and Harper in a Christian home to know Jesus. In return, it is a place for our church members to publicly announce that they will support us in raising them this way. It was a great day. My parents, sister and brother-in-law, and my niece and nephew all came to witness the dedication. These two babies are truly loved.

One thing that was truly special about the ceremony was the presentation of a jar of marbles.

Engraved with Harper and 7-11-13

Engraved with Maxwell 7-11-13

Each marble represents a week of Max and Harper's life. There are 940 weeks (approximately) from the time they are born until they graduate high school and start their adult life. So these tiny marbles represent our time with our precious, miracle babies.

We were given the marble containers and inside was a bag filled with the 32 marbles that have already been taken out. On Thursday, I took out the 33rd marble. It was sad but it is a visual reminder that their life is flying by. Which means that our time is flying by too.

So...we stop and smell the poopy diapers. Because before we know it...there are no more diapers (although that doesn't sound so bad!) and they are grown adults. So we kiss a little more and stress a little less. Each day is a gift. A gift of time and I am going to enjoy it more and more.


PS-Max and Harper will be 8 months old next week. So a post on them will be coming soon.

Enjoy your time!
-Lisa-

Answers to my Big Neck, Large Thyroid, Wacky Hormone Problems

I had my BIG thyroid specialist doctor appointment last Friday. I wasn't nervous. I knew of the issues based on blood work and ultrasounds that my other doctor had already completed. 

I wrote about my initial symptoms and thyroid issues in this post. To break it down: I have put on a TON of weight in a short time since babies, I am tired all the time, I am always cold, I have extremely dry skin, and I  just don't feel like myself. Oh, and I have a GIANT neck!

Dr. Sokol is amazing! I have never had a doctor take that much time to really dig deep into my medical history. He spent an hour going over all of my past tests, charts, biopsies, ultrasounds, and listening to my stories. He explained everything as he went and made me feel extremely confident and comfortable with his expertise.

Yes, I have hypothyroidism. I will now be on Synthroid medicine the rest of my life. I will need it to regulate the thyroid gland. He made it clear that my thyroid glands were both so large he wasn't sure that the meds will actually shrink the size of them. But the meds will help with all of the other above mentioned symptoms. I already am starting to feel more like myself. I feel like I am in a better mood after only a week of taking the medication. 

I do have to get another biopsy done this spring. My thyroid gland has grown 60% in 18 months so he is a "tiny bit" concerned about thyroid lymphoma. Of course, this sucks and is scary to think about. Dr. Sokol followed this statement up with that he is nearly certain this is not the case but wants to rule it out entirely. 

One of our conversations involved Dr. Sokol mentioning that he wished I had seen him back when I was 21 and the goiter was first noticed. (I was never referred to a specialist since my TSH levels were always fine.) He said that I may have never had infertility issues and I definitely wouldn't be in the position that I am now. 

Yes, it ticks me off that this entire 4 year infertility battle could've been avoided. However, I would NEVER in a million years wish it away. Jeremy and I would not have Max and Harper without those four years of struggle. It was meant to be. I wouldn't change it. 

Now I just take my lovely, yellow pill every morning (FOR...EV...ER-imagine this in the voice from The Sandlot movie) and hope that my symptoms continue to improve. I am hoping they do. I am ready to be back!

-Lisa-