tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83167389277688603282024-02-02T12:43:21.650-07:00Big and Little CriddleEst. December 23rd, 2006Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-58013377195181267462015-07-29T22:24:00.000-06:002015-07-29T22:24:10.913-06:00Kid-isms and doings - 2 1/2 yrs :)I"m trying to think about things the kids do or say that I need to record before I forget.... I may come back to edit or add to this :) lol this is my lame attempt at journaling... <div>
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The first thing coming to mind for Ashlyn is<br />"Scratchy water!!" took me a little while to figure this out... it means "splash in water"</div>
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This girl talks.. A LOT. There are times we have no clue what she's saying- but a "okay! wow!" will make her happy enough to think we understand. </div>
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She loves princesses. We have a disney castle that has songs of a bunch of the princesses and she sings along to every one. </div>
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Ashlyn LOVES to sing! She knows all 3 verses to "I Am A Child of God" It is the cutest thing.</div>
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She loves saying the prayer. </div>
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She has sort've given up napping... so now we do "quiet time" and if she falls asleep- even better. Quiet time consists of having a nightlight right next to her bed, books, a magna doodle drawing pad thing ("draw") and she gets to pick out "friends" from her "friends bucket".. aka: stuffed animals. </div>
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"daddy feet" - when we skype with Jon at night she always asks to see his </div>
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"what happened??"</div>
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"so-and-so funny"</div>
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"s'okay mommy (daddy, alton...)" she likes to tell us it's okay when something is wrong.. sometimes she'll come over and pat my back.</div>
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she says sorry all the time.... "I sorry I sorry I sorry"</div>
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Ashlyn likes to sign all the words she knows</div>
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Loves to help and for the most part- she will do what we ask ie "Ashlyn, can you go get Alton's shoes, please?"</div>
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Alton:</div>
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He is still only a 1-2 word phrase kind of guy :)</div>
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His longest phrase is: "watch baby signing time" </div>
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When he says "watch" he makes it into 2 syllables lol "wat-ch" </div>
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He LOVES pointing out birds. He'll sign bird too. It's so cute! "birrr!!"</div>
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Just learned how to jump last week and he is so excited about it!!!</div>
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Obsessed with trains, cars, mickey</div>
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Still loves hugs and "kiss kiss" lol</div>
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"yuh woo" aka: love you</div>
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He sleeps with a monkey, cookie monster, 2 puppies (one has a hat). He loves going to bed and taking naps.</div>
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Loves baths- splashes like crazy.</div>
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He attempted to say the prayer this week at dinner and was all proud of himself. Good start :)</div>
Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-83033485917871703902015-04-15T13:17:00.000-06:002015-04-15T13:49:53.974-06:00So, you wanted twins?A few weeks ago I had a conversation with someone that I had just met in a store. Face it, when you have kids with you at a store- people sometimes think you are more approachable. Anyone else feel this way or is it just me? Well, with that said, I think that combined with having twins- makes people even more curious and it makes them want to talk to you. I get it- they're twins- it's a little different.<br />
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Anyways, this conversation we had has been on my mind. It was a woman probably in her 30s if I had to guess. She approached me and asked how old the nuggs were. She then told me she had a few kids of her own. Then she started talking about how she wished she would've had twins (this is something I hear all the time- esp from strangers). Then started the questions of "were they natural?" and "do twins run in your family?" I never know what to answer to the first one. Were they natural? I know they're fishing for infertility information but it gets weird. I won't lie, there have been times where I answer "yes" and don't bring up IVF because I don't want to talk about it any further because I'm trying to get myself out of whatever store we're in haha. <br />
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I thought for a moment about how I wanted to answer- did I want to bring up IVF? I had some time and I said "well, they do run in my family, but we went through infertility treatments." Normally, people just drop it there- but she went on. Her next question caught me off guard a little. She asked "Oh, so you wanted to get twins then?" I'm not an easily offended person- it takes a lot for someone to really ruffle me. But this, this ruffled my feathers a bit. I knew that she didn't mean to offend me- but it did bother me. I had to keep my cool and really think about my response. So all I said was "all we wanted was a healthy baby and we were blessed to get two healthy kids" <br />
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This pretty much ended our conversation and we parted ways. Ever since then I just have been rolling over this conversation in my head and I wanted to write about it. It has been a long time since we were going through infertility treatments so a lot of the little details of knowing what different acronyms mean or what numbers mean what when looking at blood tests are a bit fuzzy for me. However, the experience will always be very fresh in my memory. <br />
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My infertility never defined me- it still doesn't. It's a part of me- but it's not the only thing about me. We went through so so so many different procedures to get pregnant. There were times I wanted to just give up because it was just too taxing on me emotionally and physically. Jon and I wanted a family. We wanted kids. If that meant we only had one kid- we would've still been over the moon. So the question "Oh, so you wanted twins then?" really got to me. I know most of my friends who have been through this would probably agree with me that we just wanted a healthy baby. <br />
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Did we know that multiples were possible- yes. Did we also realize how crazy hard it would be (during pregnancy and after) to have multiples? Well, we had an idea of course- but no one ever knows what multiples are like until you have them. That being said- I want to answer another question I get asked a lot. "You implanted two embryos- were you planning for twins?" We knew the possibility was high- but we implanted two embryos because the day we were scheduled for IVF only 2 out of the 9 eggs that fertilized had reached the stage where the doctors implanted them. So we had a choice. Implant 1 embryo and freeze the other or put both in. The first choice could mean we could lose the first one and then we'd have to do a 2nd IVF and use the frozen embryo. With only putting one embryo in lowered the chances of getting pregnant. So this is why we did the 2. Our odds of getting pregnant were much higher. <br />
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We were fortunate that we did get pregnant. I love our doctor and his staff- they were with us every step and through all the good and the bad. There were a lot of questions during the first trimesters if one of the babies were viable or if we had lost one. They were positioned in such a way where they couldn't get good readings off of them. Thankfully, they both stayed put. We were lucky.<br />
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Will I ever fully grasp why we had to go through what we did (and what we might have to go through again if we do IVF again)? I'm not sure. What I do know is that- Alton and Ashlyn were meant to be here together on this earth- together. Even if I could get pregnant on my own- I don't think my body would be able to have twins "naturally" (I hate that word... my kids formed naturally.. just with help from a doctor). I honestly believe that Heavenly Father knew this and this is why we had to do IVF. There was no other way for them to get here together. They are the best little buddies. They absolutely LOVE each other. It's such a wonderful thing to watch. How they miss each other when the other isn't there and how they laugh together- it is very special.<br />
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So, did we do this to have twins? No. But I can't imagine our lives without them. They've stretched me pretty thin (and I'm not talking about my waistline- although, that would be nice haha) and shown me all the things I need to work on but our hearts are so full. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve. <br />
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Infertility is such a hard thing. For me, there were times where I wanted to be private about it because I didn't want the world to know what was going on- but then I got to a point where I needed to talk about it. I was hurting and I needed to talk about it. I found that it helped others too. Even if was just helping someone understand what to expect when going to a infertility specialist- it was worth it for me. There are those who don't talk about it and that's okay! I just want those going through it to know that you are never alone! <br />
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Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-29199038005023660882015-03-25T15:04:00.002-06:002015-03-25T15:04:25.658-06:00This little boyOh Alton. What would we do without you? We sure would listen to way less toddler music haha... but our hearts wouldn't be nearly as full and we would be missing out on all the hugs.<br />
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Alton is such a sweet boy and I am so thankful to have him. Looking back at some old blog posts- he has changed! That boy LOVES music. LOVES it. He doesn't call it music though. He calls it "dance". He somehow manages to make that word two syllables but you can understand it. He is constantly singing songs. It took us a while to figure this out though. He'll randomly start to squeal... I can't say scream.. because that makes it sound like he's upset... but it's this high pitch squeal and then he'll say a word that you understand and you're like "oh.. that's definitely this song". Currently his favorite song to sing is "row row row your boat" However, it's one of those things where only I know that that's what he's singing. "wo wo wo uh oat.... may may may may. Eye-ff deem"... yeah... lol<br />
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I am a little worried about his speech, but that may just be being a first time mom with no idea. He used to mimic everything we said- now it's very selective. If he really wants something he'll use his words. Or if it has to do with food. At his 2 year appointment his doctor was a little worried about it (thanks for giving me something else to stay up at night for...). She kept asking all sorts of questions to me "What if he wants something?" the answer to that is that he'll say "more" and make the sign for more too. Or sometimes he'll say the word. For example, we got him up one morning after they had been put to bed by a babysitter the night before. Unfortunately, the sitter really didn't feed the kids dinner. That is a whole other story... Anyways, so when we got him up instead of saying "hi!" or anything that he'll grunt or squeal.. all he said was "chicken??".. sorry.. "chickuuuuun" haha... so, he does communicate things to us. It's just hard to know if it's laziness or something else. Especially when you have Ashlyn saying 2-4 word sentences. "See friend day?" day = today. Or my favorite lol "See elle-fant day??" Alton doesn't do that. He is a very one word kid. Park, walk, slide, sky, sun... well.. okay, the one two word phrase he says is "all done". Can't go without giving him credit for that :) <br />
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If you are ever with him and you need him to cooperate with you- tell him he's getting "straws" and he'll immediately do anything you want. These are veggie straws. Don't be that fooled, they're not like amazingly healthy... just better than giving him chips :) He begs for them constantly. Last week I caught him eating Ashlyn's. Whenever we run out of "straws" it's a bad day... kind've like those recent commercials where the kid runs out of those halo oranges? lol... <br />
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Oh, and I'm convinced that he will be very like Jon in this one way (well, probably in a lot of ways, but i'm focusing on this one). So, maybe it was the mission, but Jon is really good at figuring out where he is. He can look at a map for like 5-10 mins and he pretty much has a large area memorized for the most part. Alton has learned my routes. Walking or driving.. he knows what direction we're going. If you start heading in the direction to where we go to church but we don't end up going to church he starts going "church? church?" Or if we're walking and I make a turn that wouldn't end up taking us to a park (park isn't even visible) he starts going crazy "park! park!". So, if you ever get lost, just ask Alton.. he'll at least be able to give you directions to a park, church or grandma's house :)<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-22775834371072844882015-03-23T21:01:00.001-06:002015-03-23T22:18:11.994-06:00Ashlyn's Eye Appointments :)This goes without saying, but I'm really slacking at this blog. Sorry.<br />
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So many things have been going on. <br />
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As many of you know, Jon has been traveling again. He was put on a new project at work in November and has been traveling every week since around Thanksgiving. This has been quite challenging for me. He has traveled before for long periods of time, but that was before kids. He has been on small traveling assignments over the last two years but not for very long. Thankfully, he is able to come home late Thursday nights and is home over the weekend. However, I'm being real here, it's hard and it's no fun. But, we do what we have to and we are so very thankful for the job and all that it provides for us. <br />
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With all of this being said- I'm needing to spend a little time writing about positive things. :) This post is about Ashlyn's latest eye appointments.<br />
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I wanted to write about Ashlyn's last eye appointment. In January we went in and it was a horrible visit. Eye drops and lots and lots of tears. The nurse who put the drops in apparently missed and after waiting around for 20 mins, we had to have them put in drops again because her eyes hadn't dilated. By this point she was just traumatized. She kept begging for her glasses. "Glasses on!" It was really sad. Then, the doctor said she would need to do some patching on her left eye for 2 hours every day. They then told us as we were leaving that she would come back in March and they would do a few "games" to test her vision. The main one is called the H-O-T-V test. They told me it would be a matching game. I really wasn't sure what that meant and I had a hard time finding a lot of information online... it probably has a different name. Anyways, at that point I decided that I would start practicing letters with flash cards. <br />
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Every day we get out the flashcards while they eat or something (usually only when they're in their high chairs) and we go through them. I started by showing a letter and say it and sometimes they'd repeat the letter sometimes they wouldn't. Alton was the one who was most interested. He picked them up so quickly. He loves it when we do "letters". His favorite letter to say is "M" and when he says "U" he points to me lol... it's really cute. Now, I just hold it up and they say it without me saying anything- there are a few times where I have to correct or remind- but they are doing really well with recognizing them.<br />
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Anyways, I didn't think that Ashlyn was really paying much attention. A few weeks before her eye appt, she was starting to say some of the letters but she was mixing some of them up. I just wanted this vision test to not be stressful for her. Normally I wouldn't have worried so much about them getting their letters down because they just turned 2... but I was nervous for her. <br />
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We got to the appointment (March 13th- Jon's birthday) and thankfully, no eye drops. We didn't have to wait long either- always a plus. They show videos in the little exam room that have animals and she was having fun pointing out a few of them. Especially her favorite "elle-fant" She loves elephants. Anyways, the "game" came. They handed her this large laminated paper with the letters H, O, T and V on it. The nurse then said that we were going to play a matching game. They would show the letters on the tv screen and then she would have to point on the paper which one she saw. I immediately was a bit nervous. Ashlyn can be very stubborn. I was worried that she wouldn't follow the directions and decide that she was "all done". So I kept saying "Wow! Ashlyn this is going to be so fun!". The nurse was also promising a lot of stickers lol... so Ashlyn was a little excited for stickers. Then the letters started to appear on the tv screen. The first one the nurse kept saying "Okay, Ashlyn, what letter is that? Which letter on the paper is it?" Ashlyn looked a bit confused and started to point to "H" and then looked up and just said "H". Then O came up on the screen. The nurse kept encouraging the paper thing but Ashlyn said the letter. It went like that for T and V. I was a little in shock but wasn't letting that show. Then Ashlyn was waving the paper around lol... so I just gave it back to the nurse and she kept showing the letters in different sizes and in different order. Ashlyn did very well. The nurse and I were cheering her on and Ashlyn had a huge smile on her face and as promised she was given 4 stickers :) and one for Alton. <br />
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The doctor came in after this and expressed how well she did and how proud he was of her (I have to admit, I was proud of her too). It's hard to do vision tests with toddlers. IT's not like they can say what they can see more clearly... A or B? 1 or 2? yeah... so this little "game" is the the easiest they can do. It's not perfect, obviously, but it's better than nothing. He noted that it seems like her vision is the same in both eyes and that we could reduce her patch time. So now she only has to wear it for an hour/day. Woohoo!<br />
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I'm so thankful for those flashcards! She still mixes letters up, but we will still work on them. Best .50 I've spent in a while! If we hadn't started "letters" I think that appointment would've been so painfully long and would've probably included tears because she would've been frustrated because of it. <br />
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Thankfully, this appointment was on a Friday and Jon was working from home and was able to hang with Alton. I had planned for him to go to a friend's house, but Alton got sick that week and I couldn't send him over there with him only being a day or two out from when he first got sick. Ashlyn ended up getting sick on the next morning in the car.. on the way to the zoo... thankfully we were only 5 mins out from home. Ah, the life of having twin toddlers :)<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-62427295253214690762014-12-15T20:02:00.006-07:002014-12-15T20:02:56.635-07:002... they're almost TWO!!!!!!It's decided. I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog. <br />
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The babies are turning 2 in less than two weeks!! That's nuts. It was just yesterday when I was swaddling them and putting them in their rocker beds, wasn't it??? It's like I blinked and here they are repeating the letters of the alphabet after I say them. It's just crazy. Crazy for me encompasses so many things- crazy hard, crazy amazing, crazy wonderful... just crazy. :) <br />
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I couldn't possibly update everything they've been up to in order since my last update post. So I'll just write a general thing. I apologize in a advance.. the paragraphs are going to be ugly... I'm just going to write things as they come. <br />
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Alton. That boy. He is SUCH.A.GOOD.BOY!! He eats well, sleeps well, most fun person to tickle in the entire world, LOVES hugs and is constantly asking for them, he blows fist kisses (he's a manly man haha), loves Ashlyn so much, loves sleeping, loves music and we have just started to realize that he is constantly singing- we just hear gibberish most of the time- and then we'll hear a phrase like "All through town" aka: wheels on the bus- all through the town. His favorite song to sing at bedtime is "popcorn popping". I'll never have to worry about him getting dehydrated ever- he loves drinking his water. He LOVES cars and trains. I'm not surprised in the least. Other than it being a boy thing- he has always loved spinning things. He loves going on walks to see the ducks. We've been working on animal noises.. but so far, he is convinced that every animal says "Moo" haha... we'll get there, buddy. He likes to count to 3 on his own... esp if we are doing something that makes us say "Go!" after 3 :) In the last few months he has run through 2 finish lines with me :) a 10k race and a marathon yesterday. As we were "running" to the finish yesterday he kept saying "go! go!" the whole time with a big fat kid grin. So magical. He loves Elmo. He loves watching baby signing time videos. He doesn't often sign the signs- but he will say the words. There are times where he will sign something out of the blue and it's awesome! Right now he loves a segment that has to do with shoes, socks, a coat and a hat :) Speaking of shoes, he loves it when we are going somewhere because it means we put our shoes on. He will go gather his shoes and Ashlyn's shoes and will bring them to me. Or if he already has his shoes on, he will bring Ashlyn her shoes. He's very thoughtful. Loves riding in the car. Loves "ring around the rosie" and laughs so hard when it's time to "all fall down". He loves the christmas tree and he is always pointing it out and says "tree!". He often grabs his kitchen play toys and will bring plates and cups to the table and he will sit there and pretend that he is having his own little.. um.. party? lol, he will tip his water cup over into a play cup and will pretend to drink from it. It's really fun to watch. Every door has to be shut. If it's open, he will shut it lol. He likes to hide in cabinets. Only, he's not so good at it. He can shut the doors for the most part and lets his feet peek through. He loves the vacuum. It's a canister vacuum and he will follow it around and will press buttons as I go... turning it on or off or the button that retracts the cord lol.. it drives me crazy, but some day I will miss it. So for now, he is my vacuum buddy haha. <br />
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Ashlyn. Where do I even start. Our sweet wild child. I fear for her teens haha. She is a smart cookie. Jon calls her crafty :) She has come so far with her eating struggles. There are still a few things we are working on, but we are so blessed to have such a healthy little girl. Lately she hasn't been the best napper- that can get hard sometimes. Ashlyn also loves music. When we go for walks I play the frozen sound track and she selectively sings along. She repeats certain words or phrases. It's so so so cute!! She loves Olaf.. aka "Owawf", Elsa, Elmo, Mickey, Minnie Mouse... yes, she says only Mickey.. but has to say "minnie mouse" haha. She also has to take minnie, mickey and puppy to bed with her. Quite the party!! :) This is nothing new, but she still is our bookworm. She LOVES books. I feel like we have books everywhere (not really a bad thing).. and our backseat is like her own personal library haha... better than food and crumbs, right? She also loves magazines.. sorry.. "mas-a-seen" :) I let her look through all of my "family fun" ones and she happily turns the pages. Often with the magazines or books she will come over to me and grab my hand and drag it to something on the page and says "s'at?" aka.. "what's that".. at least I'm assuming that's what she means? She loves to point out trees and flowers on our walks. Oh, how can I forget. Her blankets. This girl is a blanket queen. Our own Linus! She has always called it "bahtee" no idea where that came from.. however, now she can say blanket ("Bangket") and will call it "bangket" and then she will smile and say "bahtee"... so weird. Thank goodness that any aden and anais blanket will pass for her "bahtee" so if we ever lose one, we can replace it really easily. She is very friendly and will say hello to everyone. She does get shy- but after about 5 minutes she's telling you her whole life story in her own language- filled with hand and arm gestures lol she is very animated. She also loves baby signing time. She is so good at signing and saying the words. I am grateful for those videos. They have helped so much. She loves everything about it, but right now I think one of her favorite parts is where it talks about transportation the section is called "here I go".. they talk about cars, bikes, trains, airplanes... and she likes to say "He I go!" :) A few days ago on our walk we passed a little kid's bike in someones driveway and she was all excited and was signing and saying "bike! bike!". Toys- she loves blocks, cars dolls... she's not super into one thing- which is good I guess. She doesn't focus long enough to stick with something... unless it's a book :) She can jump! She likes to show it off and she gets both feet off the floor! She also loves to dance. She's great at repeating letters and numbers. I'm not sure either Alton or Ashlyn understand that they're saying letters and numbers, but it's a start nonetheless :) She loves to sweep. She's constantly sneaking into the pantry to get the broom. She has wicked curly hair!! I'm almost afraid to cut it- I don't want her to lose her curls!! She tends to mess with it so much that she constantly looks like a mad scientist... a cute mad scientist :) She is so so so good about saying please (peeeash) :) <br />
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Thanks for reading :) Again, I apologize at the ugliness of the paragraphs... I just needed to write this out before I forgot to do it! The faster the better!! I'll see if Jon will add his own thoughts too :)<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-42314306096956190292014-05-22T15:13:00.000-06:002015-07-19T19:54:33.175-06:00Items that helped us survive the first yearThis post has been a long time coming (don't ask how long it took me to finish this post). I am constantly being asked about baby gear or things that we couldn't live without during the babies first year. I know that I did my own research while I was pregnant and I often came up empty or things that were being recommended were from mom's with only one baby. Now before you go crazy on me about the "only one baby" comment.. hear me out. When you are buying two of almost everything- one of the goals is to keep things as inexpensive as possible. Yes, you should always look for the best deals and not spend a lot.. blah blah blah... but I think when you don't have multiple babies, there are things that you can justify splurging on... because you only need one. A nice car seat for $250- why not?? It's the safest.. blah blah blah... well.. when you all of a sudden have 2 babies.. that's $500!! Yikes! So, that's what I mean by "only one baby". Trust me, all you mommies out there are tough cookies. <br />
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Anyways... Jon and I made up a list of things that we felt were lifesavers to get through this year. Due to the lack of time I have to be able to concentrate on things like blog posts... none of this is organized haha... we just wrote things down as they came.. so I'm just typing it all out. Sorry.... well, not sorry :) oh- and also, there is probably more stuff we could've put down... maybe I'll have to do a "part two" at some point. Also I need to note that I haven't been paid to talk about any of these products. These are just my own personal opinions on things we bought ourselves. If any one wants to send us items to review... we wouldn't complain! :)<br />
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<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Neutral/dp/B00DR9SUTO/ref=pd_sim_ba_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=07SK0FMNJ6T3SDA6F27F">Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'N Play Sleeper</a></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">The babies slept in </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Neutral/dp/B00DR9SUTO/ref=pd_sim_ba_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=07SK0FMNJ6T3SDA6F27F" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">these</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;"> for the first 3 months. After the first 3 months they went to cribs, but we still used these all the time for a while- esp if we took them to Jon's parents house. They would use them for naps. Hands down- one of my favorite things we bought. Actually, both of the ones we had were used and they were both pink.. sorry, Alton :) These were fantastic because of all the reflux problems we had. It helped made the babies more comfortable. I also think it really helped Ashlyn before we found out she had an underdeveloped larynx.. but that's a whole other story. Our bedroom is next to our living room, so the babies slept in the living room in these things. There was maybe one or two nights that they slept in our room, but it was because the power went out during the winter time and our room is the warmest in the house. These are super portable. I would buy these again in heartbeat. They were easy to clean and wash too. </span></div>
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<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">-</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-77510-Snuzzler-Ivory/dp/B0045VA3SO/ref=pd_sim_ba_59?ie=UTF8&refRID=0N8TCFRGT893C152735G">Kiddopotamus Snuzzler Complete Head and Body Support</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">If look in the above pictures, the babies are snuggled in tight with this insert. The babies were a little over 5lbs at birth and they kind've sunk into the rockers. So, we put this insert in them to help them not sink and to help them feel more secure. I honestly think it helped them sleep better!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">-Plug in swing</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">I can't find the one we got.... but I think <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Lovin-Swing-With-Plug-In/dp/B002TUTOMY/ref=sr_1_7?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1394768307&sr=1-7&keywords=swings+that+plug+in">this is the pink version of it</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Er.Me.Gersh. Alton needed to be put in a swing for a looong time when he needed help calming down. I would often avoid our swing with batteries because I was worried about the life of the batteries.. seriously... that was the last thing I needed to worry about. So, we invested in a plug in swing.. Again.. a used item that we got off of a craigslist type site on facebook that's just for our city. We still use it for the music :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/DaVinci-Kalani-Mini-Crib-White/dp/B002ZG7JQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1394768638&sr=1-1&keywords=mini+crib">DaVinci Mini Cribs</a></span></span></div>
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I love normal cribs.. but having two in the same room is just a lot of furniture. I love these cribs. They were worth it. There aren't very many bedding choices in the big box stores, but etsy has a ton. I ended up sewing my own sheets out of broadcloth (and after 17months... they still are in great shape! I have the tutorial/pattern if anyone wants it). I also made my own crib skirts too. Babies are almost 17mo old and still have plenty of room to grow. We used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DaVinci-Crescent-Mini-50-Coil-Mattress/dp/B000U0R5D0/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1394768731&sr=1-2&keywords=mini+crib">this mattress</a> and it fits perfectly! Also- they make mesh liners for mini cribs too.</div>
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-Swaddlers<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-SwaddleMe-Adjustable-Woodland/dp/B007XL658K/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400791827&sr=1-1&keywords=swaddler+blanket">These</a> are lifesavers. Enough said.<br />
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-Foscam<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Skr_mZv5_dKJyUjeMo2QLzogxWKWpScSSzYCIHHkysXVl7bZnhQ_5frdQzUPOflA9NetVic6HbHSEgBWVniFAWXnQHve0_Q1OAn7CNMH7VSIL-sLmEPUbFJdnjgQ5CiwnQMhJNrZPqo/s1600/foscam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Skr_mZv5_dKJyUjeMo2QLzogxWKWpScSSzYCIHHkysXVl7bZnhQ_5frdQzUPOflA9NetVic6HbHSEgBWVniFAWXnQHve0_Q1OAn7CNMH7VSIL-sLmEPUbFJdnjgQ5CiwnQMhJNrZPqo/s400/foscam.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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Don't waste your money on a baby video monitor. Too expensive. We got <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1400791233&sr=1-1&keywords=foscam">this one</a>- it's a night vision camera. We can connect to it only in our home through our network on our phones, tablets and computer. It's nice to be able to see what's going on instead of risking waking them up over nothing!</div>
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-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Fold-Store-Sling/dp/B005EHEJ0G/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400791687&sr=1-2&keywords=bath+sling">Bath slings</a><br />
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No need to spend a ton of money on a small tub for your kid! These were amazing! We first used them on the counter in our bathroom and then we moved them into the tub. They fit in them for quite a while. When they were able to sit up on their own/crawl we retired the slings. They fold up too and are easy to store! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1qL1yN9pN00lK2EfFVV7emh38oKKt2kvcZGaf5DGeCPM30xhhHze6SU6RlRRTZyu7KRyInYFlbEumHHUmYQx0hee-AiAQyb4ZzYkOcFxQvEczV5wDIMw2iTZKxxDFIH1P7Qd3KnwMzs/s1600/DSCN0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1qL1yN9pN00lK2EfFVV7emh38oKKt2kvcZGaf5DGeCPM30xhhHze6SU6RlRRTZyu7KRyInYFlbEumHHUmYQx0hee-AiAQyb4ZzYkOcFxQvEczV5wDIMw2iTZKxxDFIH1P7Qd3KnwMzs/s640/DSCN0328.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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-Boba carriers<br />
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I cannot say enough good things about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boba-Air-Baby-Carrier-Black/dp/B008NJLDKG/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400792005&sr=1-1&keywords=boba+air">this carrier!</a> It folds up into itself so it's excellent to travel with! We recently flew out to see my family in NH and this was a need. It can be used as a front or back carrier. It fit Jon who is about 6'3" just as well as it fit me at 4'11". The arm straps are adjustable so you can customize the fit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHqufcp4acXUOca8u1c4X4CzgUfOfp8ezBX1ksg7zNsAwdHxn0skH8nq3fhVCE_15iFMLNk_Nyz4ZW62nGQWhZyM09H0SJ8rVL3U4NNOV0c4e-WnSo44OH65X5iDiIJhZ0LtESYJLKkg/s1600/bobacarrier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHqufcp4acXUOca8u1c4X4CzgUfOfp8ezBX1ksg7zNsAwdHxn0skH8nq3fhVCE_15iFMLNk_Nyz4ZW62nGQWhZyM09H0SJ8rVL3U4NNOV0c4e-WnSo44OH65X5iDiIJhZ0LtESYJLKkg/s400/bobacarrier.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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-If doing formula (esp for multiples) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/dp/B001I481LM/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400790182&sr=1-1&keywords=dr+brown+formula+mixing+pitcher">Dr. Brown pitchers</a><br />
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Just imagine- 6-8 feedings per kid every day... yep. That was A.LOT. of formula. So we would make it the night before and we kept the pitcher in the fridge and we would pour it out as needed. Oh... I should add, we had two pitchers lol... so.much.formula.... lol. I don't even want to know how much we spent on formula.. anyways, get the pitcher. It'll keep you sane :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NOMEIECFYhn1IWH2f3GwvASeJ6PXMLu2VMoNmTJ7y6_aym75b4PU9ag_M7GnS4VaPETma5X6zC0u1l3LrBg_N4Qi-qeSi_2RxhgnCgb0ZtlGluYmWnD1yzS67E4GgwcoNUUoz8lbapU/s1600/pitcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NOMEIECFYhn1IWH2f3GwvASeJ6PXMLu2VMoNmTJ7y6_aym75b4PU9ag_M7GnS4VaPETma5X6zC0u1l3LrBg_N4Qi-qeSi_2RxhgnCgb0ZtlGluYmWnD1yzS67E4GgwcoNUUoz8lbapU/s400/pitcher.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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-Rent your pump from the hospital! More powerful! Don't spend a ton of money on a pump- it's not worth it. I rented mine for 4 months. </div>
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-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Infant-To-Toddler-Rocker-Dark-Safari/dp/B00CWN3HT4/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400792109&sr=1-1&keywords=fisher+price+rocking+chair">Fisher price rocking chair</a> AKA: the buzz chair :)<br />
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This thing was awesome. It was a lifesaver. Not only was it entertaining for the babies... it also helped them poop when they were constipated. No really. When one of them was having troubles, we put them in the rocker, turned on the vibration and within 15 mins... they pooped... when they hadn't pooped in a while.. and you could tell they were having problems. We only bought one of these and it was just fine only having one. Alton spent the most time in the chair lol.... </div>
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-Sign up for Amazon mom. It's free for 3 months and then it'll turn into amazon prime. It's so worth it. I didn't leave the house for the first few months... diapers and wipes were reasonably priced and if you do the subscribe and save- you save even more. Delivered in 2 days- free shipping. Worth it.</div>
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-Swaddler blankets (aden and anais)- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/aden-anais-Swaddle-Blanket-Friends/dp/B002USE0Q0/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1400792174&sr=1-1&keywords=aden+and+anais">these</a> are still favorites. We received these as a gift and I am so thankful because I wasn't going to splurge on them- however, looking back knowing what I know now- I would buy them myself in a heartbeat and splurge. Ashlyn is always carrying them around the house. She calls them her "bahtee" aka: blanket... don't ask me how those two words are supposed to sound the same :) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PBBT7Al1d6S-hs88LdVgQPQ-cz1TZoEpbNqfL98Nf3_kpAhnhla-N-hZUSxtNmdqNM4TjE_EJKmzBThGqtp2TSM8-IfgKjjyDw61btVx4-teunRCXEcpdLqdgf3bIat3WqjXVZMGl1Y/s1600/IMG_20140404_091841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PBBT7Al1d6S-hs88LdVgQPQ-cz1TZoEpbNqfL98Nf3_kpAhnhla-N-hZUSxtNmdqNM4TjE_EJKmzBThGqtp2TSM8-IfgKjjyDw61btVx4-teunRCXEcpdLqdgf3bIat3WqjXVZMGl1Y/s640/IMG_20140404_091841.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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-Sleep sacks. Invest in these. Once the kids didn't want to be swaddled any more, they still needed to stay warm and this was a sure way to know they'd stay warm in bed. The blanket wouldn't fall off. They can stand up in them, but walking is a different story. I think these have helped prevented any crib escapes. Win.<br />
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-Baby Einstein- My kids love this. Baby motzart. Who knows why. There was a time where they would only drink their bottles if this was on. We had a lot of feeding problems. I now only put this on when I'm desperate. Like if I'm cooking dinner and I need the kids to be entertained. I think it's only 3-4x a week that they watch this now. So, not a big deal.</div>
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Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-58374028623648565262014-03-28T15:03:00.000-06:002014-03-28T15:06:12.537-06:0015 month update :)Just a quick update of the kiddos :)<br />
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15 months!!<br />
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These two just keep getting cuter and sweeter. We have our moments, but for the most part, we have been so blessed with two really amazing kids.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0_btojGT0xiF3YGqfgUCcLjBRZJr8vLjvYch0QdTw6p2qZoI7XvF99VQj1qRAntWbw26ndryFekXp7cHg5eNOODWdse8KyKWPe1Ej5jYbK1_VbqIF3fHn3PWbdF-uQUPcKSzA0xjhPg/s1600/WP_20140314_16_52_32_Pro+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0_btojGT0xiF3YGqfgUCcLjBRZJr8vLjvYch0QdTw6p2qZoI7XvF99VQj1qRAntWbw26ndryFekXp7cHg5eNOODWdse8KyKWPe1Ej5jYbK1_VbqIF3fHn3PWbdF-uQUPcKSzA0xjhPg/s1600/WP_20140314_16_52_32_Pro+(2).jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken on Jon's birthday March 13th </td></tr>
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Alton is such a boy. We call him our little dump truck. Okay, that might sound weird... but really, he is. Nothing he does has any finesse and Jon says he "bumbles" around when he's walking. He's so cute though.<br />
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He really loves his sister. Even though he steals her toys and tries to take her glasses off, he has his moments where he shows how much he loves her. So, he has always given her kisses, but lately, he kisses her hand when they are in their high chairs. It's so sweet. Ashlyn will definitely have her brother to look after her for sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinVry04xV8jPI4vKf58ZdRVJgiwNxPyaJ7aprHNX-V5yC0i_sds34ny13vvRZa_sMhHX7LAKpgb4f5AFiSP_vNcKe2s7CdT3lwF7wlPLFcJZ2f2jLoqZkqenpnApPGQlvENOtEZoBfl4/s1600/2014-03-26_1395840963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinVry04xV8jPI4vKf58ZdRVJgiwNxPyaJ7aprHNX-V5yC0i_sds34ny13vvRZa_sMhHX7LAKpgb4f5AFiSP_vNcKe2s7CdT3lwF7wlPLFcJZ2f2jLoqZkqenpnApPGQlvENOtEZoBfl4/s1600/2014-03-26_1395840963.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Alton's vocabulary keeps growing all the time. I'm just amazed with how well he can say things. I'll write some words down that he says and I'll try to see if I can write them down the way he says them.<br />
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dada, mama (this is new! finally!), tank-oo (thank you), ga-pa (grandpa), buba (sippy cup with milk/bottle), seep (sweep), goo-jaa (good job), peese (please), cheese, bahbee (strawberry), chee-o (cheerio), ah-doo (water), hi, bump (for a fist bump), puppy, sookie, baw (ball), baby, tukee (turkey), teeth ti (teeth time), pay (prayer), mamen (amen- this is new too), sit, bye, tasty, touch down, done, ma (more), bee (bib)... The kid mimics everything lol... must be careful with what we say :)<br />
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Alton LOVES being outside. He loves taking walks in the stroller and going to the park. He loves going down slides and swinging. This last week has been gross and rainy and he always goes up to the garage door and knocks on it and says "bye" and looks at me like "Hey! Let's go!" Sorry kid... it's raining :(<br />
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Toys he's into: his puppy, cars... well, the wheels on cars, blocks, his toy phone and anything he can chew on.<br />
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He loves watching wheel of fortune. It's the only thing that he will sit still for. It's pretty amazing.<br />
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He loves chasing Ashlyn down the hall and they giggle like crazy. He loves pointing out puppies on our walks. He doesn't like to cuddle, but he gives the best hugs.<br />
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He is my helper. He will try to sweep for me and likes to shut the pantry door whenever I'm done. He often will clap for himself and said "good job" or... he claps for me once I've finished with a chore and says good job... why, thank you ;) Everyone needs their own cheerleader haha<br />
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Ashlyn is a wild little girl. She get's cuter every day. She is doing wonderful with her glasses still. We saw her eye doc the other day and the doctor loved her glasses and how they fit and how they were helping her. She doesn't need a patch right now like he said she might- so that's very good news.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing at Grandma and Grandpa's house :)</td></tr>
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She loves wearing necklaces. So chic :) haha <br />
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She is a very curious little girl. She wants to discover everything. She's into pointing at her belly button and pointing at our noses and figuring everything out. She hates getting her diaper changed lol. She is our runner. She runs everywhere she goes.<br />
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Toys she's into: blocks.. always blocks, little people farm animals, her "beep beep" aka: their sit/push car, puppy, her doll, balls, toy phone<br />
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Words- Ashlyn doesn't say as much as Alton but she says a lot more than she used to lol. She babbles all the time though with her own little language. It's really cute. <br />
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dada, mama, puppy, sookie, mamen (amen), touch down, she said cow a few times yesterday, she signs "more", done, ah-doo (water), baba (bottle), beep-beep (for her car), dahwee (dolly), hi, bye, bump, bahbee (strawberry)... I think that's about it<br />
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Ashlyn also loves going to the park. We just have to watch her like a hawk because she'll stuff thick mulch pieces in her mouth haha.<br />
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She loves dogs. She can spot them like a mile away. She just chants "puppy! puppy!" over and over and I'm like.. sorry kid... no puppy.. and then as we get further down the road, I see the dog she was going nuts about. It's really cute.<br />
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She loves being held and cuddled. If we are holding Alton she also must be held at the same time. :) She loves her blankets and walks around with it quiet often.<br />
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I cannot get her to really drink from a cup. She just doesn't care. She'll suck out of a straw until the liquid gets to her lips and then she stops and just pretends she's sucking. It's the weirdest thing. So, bottles are still a must for her. Rats. I so wanted to be done with those. Oh well, every kid is different and goes at their own pace. She is eating better. She has her moments of hoarding food in her cheeks and refusing to swallow, but she eventually does. Progress is progress, right??<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-25499119975318286932014-03-11T21:29:00.000-06:002014-03-11T21:29:35.165-06:00Ashlyn Gets GlassesAt the end of January we met with a pediatric ophthalmologist for Ashlyn. I won't lie, I had no idea what to expect. I was nervous. I mean, how can they tell how someone's vision is if the patient can't even talk yet?? I figured that she would probably need glasses. Jon thought she'd need an eye patch. <br />
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There were two parts of the visit. The first was with a nurse. We were in a room that was really long. At the end of the room there was a small tv that the nurse would play different videos. Ashlyn was all about just looking around because it was a new place! New things to see! The nurse kept telling me to tell Ashlyn to watch the screen... really? Fat chance. Haha... anyways, one thing that I thought was really neat was that the nurse pulled out this spinning light up toy. Ashlyn was mesmerized. <br />
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The nurse asked me a million questions like "so, percentage wise, how often does Ashlyn's eye cross?" Uh... not all the time. Some days it's more often than others? No idea. Those questions make me so nervous! What if I answer wrong? Then you're panicking going "No wait! I change my answer!" would it really change anything? Who knows! You all know what I'm talking about. The quesitons you just want to answer- "Maybe? Sometimes? I don't know. Yes? No?"<br />
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When she was done we went back to a waiting room to wait for the doctor. He called us back about 20mins later. He asked me the same questions as the nurse. Then he pulled out this glass paddle that had different lenses that lined it. He would turn the lights on and off, use the spinning light up toy to watch her eyes. Then, he put on his... oh what is it called... not a hat.. but a head piece with a light on it and special glasses. He turned the lights off and he pointed his flashlight at Ashlyn has he moved his little paddle around to see her eyes through the different lenses. It was painless. Ashlyn did really well.<br />
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When he was done, he told me that she had Accommodative estropia (her right eye crosses) and she has a bit of a lazy eye. He then went on to say that she would need glasses and that she would probably be in glasses until she was 10-11. She might need some surgery down the road. She may need to wear a patch for a little while too. It felt surreal. I knew that this was coming, but it was hard to hear. Our little girl has had a lot of other struggles and the last thing you want to do is give her another physical ailment to overcome. <br />
As our luck would have it, a big storm was heading our way. I had to look up a place to get Ashlyn's glasses and there was a place that was down the road. We got the brand called myraflex. Basically, it's indestructible :) Anyways, the glasses took a little over 2 weeks to get to us. The lab they use are out of Atlanta, GA and while we were getting an ice storm, Atlanta was covered in snow. It has been a really bad winter across the country. <br />
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Here she is in her glasses! <br />
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I can't tell you how amazed we are with how well she is doing with them. She rarely ever tries to take them off. She really only tries to take them off when she is frustrated when she's eating. She used to pull on her hair, but now her glasses are there. I thought we would have to fight with her like crazy to keep them on. We are so thankful that she has done so well with them. Her eye stays straight with the glasses on and then when you take them off, it immediately crosses. It's crazy. I'm so thankful that we were able to catch this early and that this can be fixed. <br />
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When we found out that she needed glasses we wanted to get her something special. I looked all over the place for a doll with glasses. I didn't want removable parts. I wanted a cloth doll. I finally found one on Etsy. The shop owner was able to customize the doll so it would have the same color glasses as Ashlyn. It finally got here today. It would've been here a month ago, but there have been so many delays because of the storms. The shop owner had to order the fabric special so that got delayed a few weeks because they didn't want to send it out during a crazy storm. Anyways, it was worth the wait. I am so thankful I had my camera ready to capture her reaction. It was priceless! She loved it and was all giggles! Her elastic in her hair had just broke and her hair was all over the place :) <br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-51290837196754562222014-03-06T09:37:00.001-07:002014-03-06T09:37:25.835-07:00Brush, Brush, Brush your teeth....So, I have a lot to catch up on, but wanted to write this down before I forget. The kids hate getting their teeth brushed. We give them their own toothbrushes to hold, I let them "brush" my teeth, we sing songs... and they still hate every moment of it. We brush their teeth after breakfast and before they go to bed at night. We just do it when they're in their high chairs, it's just easier with twins. <br />
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I would say that Ashlyn hates it more than Alton, but who really knows. She flips out, throws her special toothbrush, shakes her head, pulls her glasses off.... all before I can even get near her with the dreaded toothbrush! Alton tightens his lips, but he will eventually let you do it. He hates getting his top teeth brushed the most. Freaks out about that. He at least will bite on his own brush. Which is why Ashlyn is not in the picture below... haha.<br />
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Anyways, Jon came up with his own song that we now sing whenever it's "teeth time". It's to the tune of "Row Your Boat".<br />
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Brush, brush, brush your teeth!<br />
Brush them every day!<br />
If you don't, then they'll fall out...<br />
And that is not okay!<br />
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It makes them giggle when we sing it, so that's something... they just hate getting their teeth brushed. Oh well. Baby steps... :)<br />
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Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-8429916292688539772014-02-03T11:01:00.000-07:002014-02-03T11:09:46.989-07:00Happy 1st Birthday, Alton & Ashlyn!!!One year. Seriously? No. I'm having a hard time believing it! We really survived? <br />
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I won't lie, the first few months are a total blur. This year has flown by (well, for the most part). There are things I won't miss (all the relux... dark memories) but there are things that I will cherish- all the giggles and smiles, watching them discover new things and getting excited. The way they run at us with arms wide open with a big goofy smile. Those are the moments that will be forever in my memory. We are so very thankful for these littles. I know I keep saying that, but it's true. We are so very blessed to have them in our lives. Our lives have forever changed for the better. They truly are our miracle babies.<br />
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We had a big party planned for their 1st birthday. I sent out cute invitations that I made myself (I really am surprised with how well they turned out!),<br />
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bought cute decorations, started buying the food, people were coming from out of town, lots of others had rsvpd... everything was going to be so amazing! Alas, nothing ever goes how we think it will. The colds/ear infections from our already crazy December crept into Christmas and their birthdays. We had to make the decision to postpone the party. We were so bummed. We were so over the ear infections and colds. <br />
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Because I didn't talk about Christmas last post- I'll talk a little about it. We had some decorations up and I made stockings for all of us! We didn't put up a tree. I was bummed about that. I even made a tree skirt. We just were all sick and didn't want to bother with it. Next year though!!<br />
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We missed Christmas eve festivities with Jon's family. Jon's parents and sister, Leanna came over before heading to see Beth and her family. The babies loved having them here.<br />
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Christmas day was pretty quiet. The babies opened toys and were excited about the new things they got. Books, cars, a spinning wheel, blocks, their own little cell phones, stuffed animals.. were mostly what they got. Later on in the day, the babies seemed like they were doing alright. No one had gotten sick so we figured it would be safe to go to Jon's parent's house to see family. We all had really great time- even though we were sick. Here is to hoping that Christmas next year will be sans ear infections!<br />
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On the babies actual birthday we had family over for cupcakes and ice cream.<br />
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I made them their one year outfits :)<br />
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Alton and Ashlyn didn't really care for their cakes. We had to feed them small pieces to see if they would actually like it. Needless to say, they didn't really care for it. They loved all the attention though and loved it when we sang to them.<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa got them a lawn mower and a gum ball machine with rolling balls. They love them both! It's fun to see them pick up balls and put them into the machine and hit the lever to make them come out. Alton loves his lawn mower. It makes noises and there are parts that spin and he loves watching it.<br />
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Their one year appointment was on Jan. 7th. I was so thankful that I wasn't alone. Anne (Grandma/Jon's mom) was so kind in coming and helping me. I could not have made it through that appointment by myself.<br />
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Poor babies had shots and had to get blood taken. Ashlyn was a champ in the lab getting her finger pricked and getting blood taken. She held onto her blanket and was a tough cookie! She didn't even cry :) Alton wasn't so calm. He started crying before he got his finger pricked. I think he was nervous of the unfamiliar nurse. He just has a tender heart. There were lots of tears from both from their shots. Alton was nervous for the whole thing. He cried when he got weighed,
he cried when the doctor looked in his ears and eyes. He was just
traumatized. Poor little guy. Ashlyn fussed a bit too.<br />
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We mentioned Ashlyn's right eye that tends to cross a little. We brought it up at their 9mo appointment and we were told to wait and see how she was doing at a year old. So we received a referral for an ophthalmologist to check them out and see if it's of any concern. We'll be going at the end of January.<br />
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Otherwise, the babies were healthy. Their ears both weren't fully healed when the doctor looked at them, but they weren't infected.<br />
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Stats time!<br />
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Alton<br />
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<br />
Weight: 22lbs 3.5oz (61%)<br />
Height: 29.5" (32%)<br />
Head: 18.7" (85%)<br />
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Ashlyn<br />
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<br />
Weight: 20lbs 3oz (54%)<br />
Height: 29.75" (65%)<br />
Head: 18.5" (91%)<br />
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Alton words (most of these he understands- some... I still wonder :) ): Hi! (with a small wave), Sookie, cheerio, touch down, dada, grandpa, tasty, cheese, thank you, dad-dum (not sure what this means.. but he says it all the time- we're thinking it might be him saying Alton), ball, meow, more, done, mum-mum... I'll take it haha... close enough to mama, right?, baba (bottle)<br />
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Ashlyn words: b-yub (repeated over and over really fast), once she said "go" hasn't said that ever again, sometiems she meows after sookie meows....<br />
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She mimicks actions and follows verbal commands She can wave, will give you a high five, if you say clap she'll clap, if you say touch down she'll throw her arms in the air.<br />
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She loves taking her blocks and roams the house and stashes them in her hiding places. She dumped some blocks into her dirty clothes hamper the other day and I had no clue. I did the wash and I heard all sorts of weird noises. I opened up the washing machine and there were 4 blocks rattling around. See the block in the dishwasher? Yup... every night I have to make a "block run" to make sure I find them all.<br />
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Alton still loves everything that spins. He turns his cars over to spin the wheels. Note the wheel spinning on the dishwasher haha!<br />
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He loves balls too. He loves playing peek a boo. He giggles so much when you play that with him. <br />
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They love when you sing "Pat a cake"... is that how it's said? I usually just say "patty cake" lol... whatever. They love it. <br />
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Whenever Ashlyn is getting her diaper changed, Alton walks over and bends down and gives her kisses on the forehead and cheeks. It's so so so cute!<br />
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Their favorite book is "Barnyard Dance". We read it like a song. They both perk up whenever we start reading it and they run over with big smiles.<br />
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Happy Birthday, Alton and Ashlyn! We love you so very much!<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-8087392339098347062014-01-02T21:13:00.001-07:002014-01-02T21:13:36.893-07:0011-11.5 MonthsThe month of November (and December) can be summed up by just saying: double ear infections.<br />
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I'm starting to write this post the day before their first birthday (Dec. 27th), but I need to recount the end of November. The babies woke up a few days before Thanksgiving with colds. We took them into the doctors and she said "no ear infections... but it could turn into ear infections within the week". Thanks for that, Doc. Humph. Jon was home on vacation around the time this was going on. I am so very thankful that he was. Alton and Ashlyn were both miserable. <br />
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We had a day where we had over 5 throw ups and by the end of the night, Jon and I decided we needed to get rid of our carpet and put in wood laminate flooring in our living room. The next day, we went down and ordered it!<br />
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We had a lot of pj days :) I think this picture is funny... Ashlyn solving all of life's problems by wearing her pjs with a diet coke in hand :) It was just a rough time in this house!<br />
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For Thanksgiving, we went to Jon's parents house. Sadly, no pictures. We had a wonderful meal, skyped with family and even played on the playground with the babies and their cousins, Storey and Jakson. <br />
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A few days after Thanksgiving we took the babies back into the doctors. They both had double ear infections and they were given antibiotics that they had to take for 10 days. <br />
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Alton started to clear up within a few days, however, on day 7... he woke up with the scariest hives! I immediately called Jon (who had just left for work) and asked him to come home. <br />
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It took about a week for the hives to go away. Lots of benadryl. Sorry, Alton... looks like you are allergic to amoxicilin (at least for now).<br />
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Ashlyn's symptoms didn't really go away. She seemed okay, but I had a funny feeling that she wasn't feeling better. I took her back in when her fever came back (I believe this was December 18th). Her ears were worse than they were around Thanksgiving. We are still on meds, and I still don't think she is doing much better.<br />
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A few days after the 18th, we took Alton back in because his symptoms came back. He has double ear infections again too and a really terrible cough. So now he's on two meds. An antibiotic and a steroid. The steroid just ended today. Alton hated it. It made him so angry that he would cry and cough so much that he'd throw it all up. He has been throwing up a lot lately, especially after his bedtime bottle. I'm hoping this ends soon.<br />
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I will say that the cuddling has been really nice :) The above picture was Alton cuddling with mommy and daddy watching "Wheel of Fortune". Heh, Jon's mom said,"<span data-reactid=".r[52r86].[1][3][1]{comment10101229008479129_16961876}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]"></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[52r86].[1][3][1]{comment10101229008479129_16961876}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[52r86].[1][3][1]{comment10101229008479129_16961876}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[52r86].[1][3][1]{comment10101229008479129_16961876}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]">And of course for Alton it involved a spinning wheel" I laughed out loud for that one. It's true, like we've said before, Alton just LOVES everything that spins. It was fitting for how calm he was when we took this picture. With his favorite people watching a GIANT wheel that spins :)</span></span></span><br />
Besides all the sickness, these babies are so wonderful. <br />
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Alton at 11mo<br />
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Ashlyn at 11mo<br />
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Ashlyn started to really take steps on November 22nd. She started walking on December 10th. She seriously runs all over the place!!<br />
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Alton decided he didn't want to be one upped by his sister so he decided to get walking too :) He started walking while he had the hives. He started on Dec. 14th.<br />
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The babies are babbling all the time. I'll talk about their (well... Alton's) growing vocabulary in their one year post :)<br />
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Alton and Ashlyn love to be near each other. They make each other laugh. They fight over toys and accidentally sit on each other, but they really do love each other. You can already see a special twin connection.<br />
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Daddy got a new piano from his parents. The babies love hearing him play and they love to bang on the keys right along with him.<br />
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We are very slowly getting to normal foods. Slowly is the key word. Because the kids have been sick, I have had to just stick with favorites.<br />
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They tried scrambled eggs and seemed to like them alright. <br />
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I'm still clueless how to get them to eat normal food. They just gag on things so easily and Ashlyn hoards food in her ample cheeks haha. She just keeps food in her mouth and doesn't want to swallow. It's like she's waiting for it to dissolve so she doesn't have to swallow. She's a funny little thing. I'll <strike>throw a party </strike> be glad when all this daily gagging and throwing-up ridiculousness is over!! Let's just say that our new floor (pics to come) has been a serious lifesaver since these kids have been sick! Worth.every.penny.<br />
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We sure do love our nuggets. I am amazed by them constantly. These goofballs have changed our lives forever and we are forever grateful for them.<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-27255088468749993572013-11-20T21:08:00.002-07:002013-11-20T21:08:50.741-07:009 and 10 month baby update :)This will be another melting together post. I have just been down and out with a lot of weird lung problems. My cough stayed and then my lungs got inflamed again. Long story short, my lungs had residual damage left from whatever I had this summer and it really messed with my breathing. Everything is under control now with new meds and I have been given the green light to run again. It just took a really long time (since July...) to figure out how to help me. Hence... the blog was put on hold.<br />
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The babies are doing wonderful! They have been doing so many new things! <br />
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We will start with Alton :)<br />
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9 Months:<br />
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9mo doctor stats:<br />
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Height: 27.75" (30%) - side note: I'm not sure if this was right or not. The nurse measured Ashlyn after and then she said she thought she measured Alton wrong... but didn't go back and do his height measurement again. So.. who knows. They are very close in height though.<br />
Weight: 19lbs 5.8oz (47%)<br />
Head: 18.11" (78%)<br />
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10 Months:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure joy :)</td></tr>
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Soon after 8 months he started to really crawl! He wouldn't go very far at first, but he figured it out pretty fast. He now (at 10 mo) can crawl all over the place and he loves exploring the house and gets into everything.<br />
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He has learned how to actually "walk" in his walker! He used to only be able to scoot backwards. Now he goes at good clip in the kitchen back and forth :)<br />
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He is still our really good eater. He loves almost everything we give him. He isn't crazy about bananas. I'll give him chunks and he will sometimes eat them okay, but he mostly spits it out. He loves puffs and cheerios. He still loves peaches. He has recently eaten canned peaches and he loved them too. I'm still wondering how we'll get to normal foods, but eventually we will :)<br />
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He loves crawling after Sookie. He says "Ssss-keeee" when he is doing it. So, if I'm like changing Ashlyn's diaper and I hear the "Ssss-keee" I know what he's doing haha.<br />
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Other word associations he has: dada, uh oh, more- well.. "mo", ball and sookie :) he is really good at mimicking sounds and he really tries to copy what we're saying.<br />
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He can really cruise on furniture now. He is so good at it.<br />
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He can now clap! He also claps in his high chair when you say "good boy" to him. It's cute.<br />
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He likes to hit the button to open the garage. He'll hit it and quickly look back to check if the door is opening or closing. He get's so excited. Jon gets him to turn on lights when he is holding him and he loves turning on fans.<br />
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He is no longer sleeping in the swing at naps! He is still napping in a different room than Ashlyn, but he sleeps in a pack play.<br />
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He loves to spin things. Wheels, balls that spin on toys... if something spins- he'll find it.<br />
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Onto Ashlyn:<br />
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9 Months:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was going through a phase where she wasn't into the whole smiling thing lol</td></tr>
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9mo doctor stats:<br />
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Height: 27.75" (57%)<br />
Weight: 18lbs 5.8oz (54%)<br />
Head: 17.76" (83%)<br />
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10 months:<br />
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We saw the feeding specialist. Was it worth the 8mo wait?? No. Ashlyn ate the best she has ever eaten. She opened up for the spoon and leaned towards it and everything. She did refuse her bottle and the specialist noted that and said that wasn't normal. Because of the overall performance, the specialist saw no need to continue seeing her. It was pretty much a "well, sorry you have to deal with this... but it'll get better eventually" sort of answer. She still continually will try to gag herself because she hates drinking her bottle. I guess on the plus side- it'll be easy to wean her off her bottle when the time comes haha... The doctor also suggested feeding her the natural white chedder cheetos haha... that will be the one and only time a doctor suggests eating junk food :) <br />
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She liked it and ate it. <br />
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Alton hated them.<br />
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Slowly she will get there. This will probably be her main struggle for the first little while. That being said, she is doing so much better. She still gags and throws up from time to time (on purpose) but it's not every meal like it used to be. <br />
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She started crawling before Alton. She is just all over the place now!<br />
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In the last few weeks she has been really cruising on furniture and she sometimes will pull her hands off and she stands on her own for a few seconds. This girl will be walking soon!<br />
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She also figured out how to "walk" in her walker before Alton. Her face lit up when she figured it out. She loves running around in the kitchen. She reaches out for the handles on the cabinets and they'll open, but they can't open all the way because the walker is in the way.<br />
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She is doing better with her solids. She likes cheerios and puffs a lot. She likes turkey a lot too. When we are in HEB and there are samples, she is more enthusiastic about getting food than Alton. Albeit... we only give them like bread and plain meat. :)<br />
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She is starting to wave a little.<br />
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She loves books more than anything. If there is a toy and a book... the book always wins.<br />
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She loves plotting. She watches where we put things and she remembers it... and when we're not looking she b-lines it to whatever she was waiting for (ie: cell phone, remote, book or even a toy that Alton had that he had stopped playing with). She is just inquisitive. :)<br />
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She can now rock a "pony". Her hair was getting to be where she was starting to look homeless lol :)<br />
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Recently:<br />
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The babies had their first ear infection. They had runny noses and just weren't themselves. Poor littles. We were able to catch it early though, so that was good. We just had a few rough days.<br />
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We had a garage sale and we made $120 in like an hour. It was a lot of fun too. <br />
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Jon had a crazy work week not that long ago and he hadn't seen the babies for a few days because he would get home after they went to bed. So we made it down to his work and had lunch with him. Alton figured out he could hear his voice echo where we were eating so he would starting screaming to hear himself. We had to make a quick exit when that started haha. People started to stare :) <br />
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We had our ward's trunk or treat. I made the babies costumes :) They were M&Ms. Ashlyn was brown and Alton was red. I made it so they could wear them as a "back pack" so they can crawl around. They didn't mind them at all. They honestly didn't care. For pictures and riding around in their wagon we put them on their fronts. They came out so cute! Daddy fed Alton pumpkin bread and he loved it.<br />
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My dad is came here to visit the week of Halloween. Ashlyn is his new BFF. She did all she could to get to him. He read in funny voices and sang to the babies. They loved having him here. They were all smiles when he came down the stairs in the morning. We miss him! Hope he comes back soon :)<br />
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We went to a pumpkin patch while my dad was here. We packed a picnic lunch and took pictures. It was a lot of fun.<br />
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Grandad was so nice and he bought the babies stuffed animals and a push walker. The babies have loved the walker and the animals. <br />
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While Grandad was here, we made a really quick trip to Galveston. The babies rode on their first ferry ride! They had a lot of fun and they loved looking at each other through the windows.<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-35959537330884167612013-09-01T20:25:00.000-06:002013-09-01T20:25:11.946-06:007 and 8 month updateI've been working on their 7mo post for a while. However, everything started to melt together from 7 and 8 months... so I'm combining the updates! I promise a lot of pictures :) <br />
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We have started a new schedule! We wouldn't have to be so nit picky with the "schedule" if we didn't have twins. I would just go even more crazy without it! Eating every 4 hours and 2 naps during the day. In bed by 7:30pm for the night. I still have to start feeding Ashlyn a half hour before Alton. We start our day at 6:30am. It's not that I'm not a morning person... but I can't wait for the day when I can set my alarm for after 7am! That'll be a while... Ashlyn apparently feels the same way :)<br />
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On to what new things the babies are up to :)<br />
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<b>Ashlyn:</b><br />
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<b>7mo</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
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<b> 8mo</b><br />
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<b> </b><br />
-Ashlyn sometimes will "drum" on this bowl with wooden spoons. It's hilarious to watch. Most of the time when she has the bowl in front of her she will knock on it :) It's cute. (This picture was taken way before the 8mo pictures... lol we wear this outfit often, I guess- haha)<br />
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-Ashlyn can now sit unsupported no problem! She can even sit herself up on her own when she gets on her side/tummy.<br />
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-Her reflux is doing so much better! She doesn't have to sit for a full half hour after a bottle anymore. She is still not fun to feed when she is awake.. but it's a work in progress<br />
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-Can reach for toys and then sit back up<br />
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-Isn't crawling, but she will get on her tummy and scootch herself forward (face dragging the whole way) and then turn over once she gets to the toy she really wants. She can get up on all fours and move back and forth. The girl rolls all over the place!<br />
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-A tooth started to cut on August 17th (looking at her- bottom front right) You can see her top front teeth coming too.<br />
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-Ashlyn isnt' very enthusiastic with solids (surprise surprise). It takes her a half hour to take close to 2oz.<br />
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-Finally got into GI doctor- he wants us to see a feeding specialist. After a few phone calls I was able to schedule her to see a feeding specialist on Sept. 9th. Crossing fingers this will be good for her. They told me to bring her favorite eating utensils and food.... hmm... little do they know she doesn't have a favorite. The food she'll eat faster than the others is avocado... so I guess that's a favorite haha<br />
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-On August 27th- Ashlyn started "clapping". I will clap and then she will (most of the time.. sometimes she just looks at me like I'm crazy and then will go about playing as usual). Then there are times where I catch her just clapping to herself. <br />
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<b>Alton:</b> <br />
<br /><b>7mo</b><br />
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<b>8mo</b><br />
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-Alton started on August 17th- when he is on his belly- he can move to a sitting position all by himself. At 7 mo he still didn't care to be on his tummy. He doesn't spend a lot of time on his tummy now, but he will get on his tummy to reach for things and he will move around. Not crawling really... more like he puts one leg under him, scootches on his rump and pushes with the other leg. It's quite comical to watch.. He can sure get around. He tries to pull himself up when holding on to different things.<br />
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-He can turn himself while he's sitting to reach for toys. He'll also reach really far for a toy and then sit back up. His loves playing with this rattle that sort've looks like a phone, he loves playing with balls, toy piano and this house that we have that makes noises when you press different buttons.<br />
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-Loves to eat solids. He will down like 4oz of whatever you are feeding him.<br />
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-Alton loves peaches!! Even when he seems done with his "meal"- he will always make room for peaches.<br />
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-First tooth cut on August 27th (looking at him: bottom front left)<br />
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-When Ashlyn is near, he will pull her hair and sometimes it ends up like this...<br />
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<br />
-I've been trying to get a video of it, but I always miss it. Alton does what we call "propeller lips". Like a raspberry, but not. His lips vibrate together and he makes noises while he does it. He'll just sit and play while he does it. <br />
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-Naps in his swing- we finally got one that plugs into the wall!<br />
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-He can be grumpy (what baby isn't??) but he sure is such a happy little boy. <br />
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-He loves blankets. When he is super cranky, I will put a blanket on his head and he will be all smiles. <br />
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Both:<br />
<br />
-Now sit in the cart at the grocery store!! They love sitting in it and being able to look around. It's our Saturday family outing (mommy and daddy like it because it turns into our lunch with all their free samples!) It's funny to watch how Alton sits in the cart. He always has to have a leg up and looks all "gangsta" haha :)<br />
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-Both Babies LOVE our cat, Sookie. They get so excited when she comes strolling in. They just stop what they're doing and just stare at her and sometimes giggle. Sookie doesn't feel the same way, but she at least hangs out with us all day in the same room for the most part and keeps her distance :)<br />
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- We took them to the playground and they loved swinging! Alton was too interested in the cars going by to look at the camera, but they still had fun.<br />
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Foods we've tried since last post:<br />
-Peach (Alton's favorite)<br />
-green beans<br />
-squash (both liked)<br />
-zucchini (both babies like this)<br />
-potato<br />
-apple <br />
-carrots<br />
-prunes (Alton LOVES them- esp when mixed with apple)<br />
-blueberries<br />
-Pumpkin (with banana) <br />
-puffs (Ashlyn will eat these!! woohoo!)<br />
-watermelon <br />
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Random happenings:<br />
The smoke detector went off in the baby's room the other night while we were sleeping (before you freak out- there wasn't a fire). We heard it on the monitor and had no idea at first what it was. Then because that alarm was going off, our alarm in our bedroom started to go off. I've been sick so I had taken some medicine to help me sleep. I was so out of it and I started freaking out that there was a fire. Turns out that the battery was dying and it was beeping to let us know. Luckily for us, the babies slept through it. I'm so thankful that Jon was home and wasn't traveling when this happened!!!<br />
<br />
Jon had another trip to Canada in August. We survived here at home! We missed daddy a lot though and were so happy when he came home! I was getting over pneumonia and that was no fun (still have the cough that's left over.. ugh....)<br />
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Jon's sister, Beth was so kind and took our pictures again as a family (a few days before the babies turned 8mo). I am so excited to see them all! She posted a preview on her blog: <a href="http://www.bethvphotography.com/2013/08/c-twins-houston-katy-and-cypress-family.html">http://www.bethvphotography.com/2013/08/c-twins-houston-katy-and-cypress-family.html</a><br />
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Thank you, Beth!! <br />
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<br />
Life has sure been an adventure (and it sure isn't easy!!), but we are so thankful to have these special babies in our family. We sure do love those nuggets! They are such a joy and they bring so much happiness and light into our lives. Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-73469161223074950212013-07-20T13:28:00.001-06:002013-07-20T13:38:15.940-06:006 MonthsI've been meaning to finish this for almost a month. Things just got a little busy :) Jon went to Canada for a few days for work (the week they turned 6 mo) and it took me a little while to catch up!<br />
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While dad was in Canada :)<br />
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Can you seriously believe it?? 6 mo and everyone is still alive! That's got to be worthy of some sort of an award! I'll just pat myself on the back :) <br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">*Ashlyn:</span></b><br />
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Doc stats:<br />
Weight: 15lbs 1oz (26.7%)<br />
Height: 25.75" (44.77%)<br />
Head: 16.93" (62.92%) <br />
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-Can roll from back to belly and belly to back<br />
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-Likes to roll over the top of a boppy pillow when she is on the floor sitting for a few minutes to let her tummy settle after eating (reflux sucks)<br />
-starting to sit for small periods of time unsupported- on July 4th she started to do really well.<br />
-loves to jump<br />
-can babble "dadadada"<br />
-We call her our "little bird". She loves to flap her arms. She'll learn to fly before she crawls haha <br />
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<br />
-Loves the toy piano<br />
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<br />
-Drooling like crazy... no teeth yet<br />
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-Still has trouble with her bottle.<br />
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She eats better when she is sleeping. We're working on that... I've spent a lot of time on the phone with her doc office this week about seeing a feeding specialist. We'll see what happens with that. She is doing so well though. I am amazed with her and solids. She actually swallows things instead of spitting it out :) Little by little she is learning and growing. :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>*Alton:</b></span><br />
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Doc stats:<br />
Weight: 16lbs 12oz (31.17%)<br />
Height: 26.25" (38.17%)<br />
Head: 17.44" (61.93%)<br />
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-Can sit unsupported really well<br />
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<br />
-Loves bath time and loves to splash- just watch out... you'll get a bath too!<br />
-Can roll from stomach to back... he could roll back to stomach if he tried- but he just doesn't want to. He doesn't like tummy time<br />
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-Loves to hold onto toys with his feet when he's on his back<br />
-Loves to "talk" and can also say "dadadada"<br />
-Morning person- super happy to see you come get him in the morning. The happiest time of his day is after he eats at 7am. Full belly and a good night's sleep!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shirt says: "made with love (and science)" hehe.. fitting :)</td></tr>
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They both love playing with their blankets. They also love making forts with their play mats. They both will giggle (or at least smile a lot).<br />
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Foods we have tried since turning 6mo:<br />
-Sweet potato (Alton liked it- Ashlyn was just still struggling with trying to figure out solids when we tried it)<br />
-Banana (Still getting the hang of the spoon.. lots of spitting out- but I think they liked it)<br />
-Peas (They like it well enough.. but not too excited about it)<br />
-Pear (Both loved it)<br />
Avocado (both are loving this!)<br />
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(we normally feed them with a spoon out of a small dish lol... but when they finish whatever they have- we let them suck on their pouches just in case they want a little more :) ) <br />
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Here is a size comparison- 2 mo in the bath tub vs 6mo! Holy cow! They are both getting too big for those bath slings now!<br />
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Happy 6mo littles! We love you very much!!<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-72178224094409937412013-06-16T19:33:00.001-06:002013-06-16T19:33:07.548-06:00Father's DayIt's my first real Father's Day! While I love and appreciate my own father (and will consider my adult self a success if I can be half the man he is), this holiday has never been anything special. It was always just another day. Boy does that all change when you become a dad! There is nothing in life that I am more proud of than being a father.<br />
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I have a very strange memory, as most of you well know. I can hear a quote from a TV show or movie and remember/repeat it for the rest of my life. In fact, probably 1/4 of everything I say is a direct quote from something I have seen (Jurassic Park is one of the most common sources). In everything else my memory is par for the course or a little worse. I would be hard pressed to answer correctly if you asked me what I ate for dinner yesterday. Oddly I do remember the first meal Crystal ever cooked me though (way to a man's heart!).<br />
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Memory background stated, I am amazed at how many things with these babies are permanently engraved in my memory. I still remember the feeling when I first saw them in the operating room. I can remember what I was doing, where I was, and exactly what it sounded like the first time one of the babies (Alton) ever laughed out loud. I remember the first time I saw one of them roll over (Ashlyn).<br />
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I even cherish the negative memories. I will always recall what Neutramigen smells like from Ashlyn throwing it up all over me so many times. I can recognize the sound of Alton crying from the other side of our church building. As frustrating as it is for all their eating troubles, I will look back on all the opportunities to snuggle with them, while screaming or not, for so long with gratitude.<br />
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I am so happy and proud to be a father. I love everything about it, even the hard times. I know that in the future I will look back at getting up at 2am to help a screaming baby, feeding a child who wants to do anything but eat, and watching the bank account balance plummet as we purchase formula after formula as nothing but fond memories. Happy Father's Day, everyone.<br />
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04995833528533214935noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-91782924424450827982013-06-15T19:48:00.000-06:002013-06-15T19:48:20.722-06:005 MonthsWell, technically 5.75 months... Oh well :) Time is just flying... and yet sometimes... not so much :)<br />
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I'll talk about the less fun stuff first so we can get to the fun stuff.<br />
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Alton has/had been struggling with eating. He just started to hate it. He had been taking 6oz at a time and then all of a sudden, he would hit 3oz and he was just done. Every feeding. We couldn't figure it out. He was having a lot of reflux too. We'd burp him, walk around, find distractions.... anything and everything, we tried. I went to the doctor and they wanted him to try the nasty formula Ashlyn was on (nutramigen). He wouldn't even taste it. As soon as a drop hit his lips he was like, "what the nasty??". Needless to say, there was a day where he really didn't eat anything. Then the doc put him on another formula, Alimentum. That stuff smelled NASTY. I even put him on a higher flow nipple. He drank it okay, but still was having the same issues. Not eating more than 3oz at a time. He would just cry and he couldn't calm himself down. It was a long few weeks. Then, we tried another formula. Similac for spit up. He slowly got better and all of a sudden in a few days, he sucked all of his 6oz in like 6mins! He has been doing amazing lately. He still has a few feedings where he won't take the whole thing, but that's normal. At least it's not every feeding!!<br />
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Then the next issue came for Alton that we are still dealing with. He won't let anyone else feed him, but me. Which is fine.... until I have to do something and Jon is alone with the babies. As soon as I take him, he eats no problem. It's a bit ridiculous. What a momma's boy ;)<br />
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Ashlyn is still struggling with eating. She has come so far though and has been doing so much better than she had been. So, it's all about perspective, right?? It has been a few weeks since she has thrown up. What a relief. However, she really doesn't care about eating. She's not very enthusiastic about it. She will suck on the nipple, but then she has a bad habit of not swallowing. So it fills up her mouth and then I don't know if she's scared to swallow or what the deal is but she starts to freak out and then once she swallows it, then she'll suck on the nipple again. Very weird. I have also changed her formula. Nutramigen was just so expensive. Even with coupons. It was $35 for the value size can and she went through about a can and a half a week. I was thankfully able to find another formula that is cheaper that she seems okay with. I have tried waiting longer to feed her, but it's still the same. We tried a higher flow nipple and that was a disaster. She just "drowns" in it. Oh well. It will come. The good news is that she is eating more. It just takes a really long time. 30-40mins to feed her. I just keep telling myself, "I will never get this back. She will never be this small again, so enjoy it while you can". That and church music help get me through feedings :)<br />
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Here is our current stash of formula that we have had to try... I recently threw out some opened ones that they can no longer eat. The only ones we didn't pay for are the ready to pour liquid ones that we got as samples from the doctor. Between the two babies, we are on our 7th type of formula. <br />
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Now to the fun stuff!<br />
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We started rice cereal! Feeding them for the first time was fun. No crying! They were both skeptical about what was going on and made the classic baby faces when they first tasted it. They are still both trying to figure out what they think about it, but so far it is going pretty well.<br />
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They both can hold their heads up really well and are getting better at tummy time! Ashlyn usually immediately rolls over when we put her on her tummy. So she has the tummy to back roll down pat. Alton can do it too pretty well.<br />
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<br />When Ashlyn is on her back she likes to find things to put her feet on so she will turn her body (a full 180 if she has to) to find something like the little foam rod on her playmat. She is also really good about turning from her back to her side. She is so close to going from her back to tummy, but it hasn't quite happened yet.<br />
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Alton loves his buzzing rocking chair. He just has a grand ol' time in it. He likes to hold onto his octopus while he is in it. He loves playing with this musical dog toy from a playmat from some friends that is above him. He knows how to turn it on and he just laughs and kicks his feet when the dog starts moving.<br />
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Ashlyn has a favorite toy already. We call it her "BFF Jill". It's this plastic doll that she will just start cooing at whenever she sees it. Her eyes go wide and she gets a big smile when we bring out "bff jill" lol.<br />
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They have both finally found their feet!!<br />
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Alton is so good at grabbing things. You can just see him thinking about it. He'll hold onto his toys and shake them a little until they fall out of his hands or he tosses them haha. He loves to look at picture/board books.<br />
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They are both really good about sitting in their bumbo chairs. They used to spit up as soon as we put them in the chairs, but now it doesn't happen as often. Improvement!! We are working on sitting and I am hoping that within a few weeks, they'll start figuring out to sit on their own. I have a feeling that Alton will do it first. He loves to be sitting or being held in a standing position. Which is why we bought some "walkers". Their feet can barely touch the floor in them, but it holds them upright and their bodies don't fold in funny to cause them to spit up, so it's perfect. Ashlyn's came in the mail first and I think Alton's will come today (I got a really good deal on amazon)! They both love being in it!<br />
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They are a joy to have and they are so fun to play with. Feedings will eventually get better... I'm hoping. We love them both so very much. <br />
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Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-59427464266845811212013-06-13T08:41:00.000-06:002013-06-13T08:41:11.534-06:00Mother's DayLast year on Mother's day Jon and I had a hunch that IVF worked, but we hadn't gotten the official word from the doctor. The day after mother's day is when we found out. So timely :)<br />
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Now that I am a mom, it is surreal. I still look at these babies and think, "I have TWO kids???" and I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing :) <br />
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Some things I love about being a mom:<br />
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-Going to get the babies from their cribs and they just start smiling really big, flapping their arms and kicking their feet because they are so happy. <br />
-Bath time. They both make the funniest faces when they're in the tub. Alton loves to splash... he thinks we need a bath too. He kicks his legs and waves his arms in the water. :) Ashlyn makes a lot of noises and splashes with her hands.<br />
-Snuggling<br />
-Watching them grow into their own personalities<br />
-Hearing them laugh<br />
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There are so many things I could list. They are really special babies and they fit in perfectly with us. <br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-89461102484601419572013-06-02T20:04:00.001-06:002013-06-02T20:04:14.097-06:00Still AliveI know... we have so much to catch up on. What's new?? Anyways, I just wanted to share this before I forgot. A friend of mine sent me this article and it gave us a good laugh :) <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steve Wiens: To Parents of Small Children: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blackberry/p.html?id=3209305">Let Me Be the One Who Says It Out Loud</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am in a season of my life right now where I feel bone-tired almost all of the time. Ragged, how-am-I-going-to-make-it-to-the-end-of-the-day, eyes burning exhausted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have three boys ages 5 and under. I'm not complaining about that. Well, maybe I am a little bit. But I know that there are people who would give anything for a house full of laughter and chaos. I was that person for years and years; the pain of infertility is stabbing and throbbing and constant. I remember allowing hope to rise and then seeing it crash all around me, month after month, for seven years. I am working on another post about infertility that will come at a later date.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But right now, in my actual life, I have three boys ages 5 and under. There are many moments where they are utterly delightful, like last week, when Isaac told my sister-in-law that, "My daddy has hair all over." Or when Elijah put a green washcloth over his chin and cheeks, and proudly declared, "Daddy! I have a beard just like you!" Or when Ben sneaks downstairs in the morning before the other boys do, smiles at me, and says, "Daddy and Ben time."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But there are also many moments when I have no idea how I'm going to make it until their bedtime. The constant demands, the needs and the fighting are fingernails across the chalkboard every single day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of my children is for sure going to be the next Steve Jobs. I now have immense empathy for his parents. He has a precise vision of what he wants -- exactly that way and no other way. Sometimes, it's the way his plate needs to be centered exactly to his chair, or how his socks go on, or exactly how the picture of the pink dolphin needs to look -- with brave eyes, not sad eyes, daddy! He is a laser beam, and he is not satisfied until it's exactly right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have to confess that sometimes, the sound of his screaming drives me to hide in the pantry. And I will neither confirm nor deny that while in there, I compulsively eat chips and/or dark chocolate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are people who say this to me:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"You should enjoy every moment now! They grow up so fast!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I usually smile and give some sort of guffaw, but inside, I secretly want to hold them under water. Just for a minute or so. Just until they panic a little.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you have friends with small children -- especially if your children are now teenagers or if they're grown -- please vow to me right now that you will never say this to them. Not because it's not true, but because it really, really doesn't help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We know it's true that they grow up too fast. But feeling like I have to enjoy every moment doesn't feel like a gift, it feels like one more thing that is impossible to do, and right now, that list is way too long. Not every moment is enjoyable as a parent; it wasn't for you, and it isn't for me. You just have obviously forgotten. I can forgive you for that. But if you tell me to enjoy every moment one more time, I will need to break up with you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are a parent of small children, you know that there are moments of spectacular delight, and you can't believe you get to be around these little people. But let me be the one who says the following things out loud:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not a terrible parent if you can't figure out a way for your children to eat as healthy as your friend's children do. She's obviously using a bizarre and probably illegal form of hypnotism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not a terrible parent if you yell at your kids sometimes. You have little dictators living in your house. If someone else talked to you like that, they'd be put in prison.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not a terrible parent if you can't figure out how to calmly give them appropriate consequences in real time for every single act of terrorism that they so creatively devise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not a terrible parent if you'd rather be at work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not a terrible parent if you just can't wait for them to go to bed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not a terrible parent if the sound of their voices sometimes makes you want to drink and never stop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You're not a terrible parent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You're an actual parent with limits. You cannot do it all. We all need to admit that one of the casualties specific to our information saturated culture is that we have sky-scraper standards for parenting, where we feel like we're failing horribly if we feed our children chicken nuggets and we let them watch TV in the morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the reasons we are so exhausted is that we are oversaturated with information about the kind of parents we should be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, maybe it's time to stop reading the blogs that tell you how to raise the next president who knows how to read when she's 3 and who cooks, not only eats, her vegetables. Maybe it's time to embrace being the kind of parent who says sorry when you yell. Who models what it's like to take time for yourself. Who asks God to help you to be a better version of the person that you actually are, not for more strength to be an ideal parent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, the next time you see your friends with small children with that foggy and desperate look in their eyes, order them a pizza and send it to their house that night. Volunteer to take their kids for a few hours so they can be alone in their own house and have sex when they're not so tired, for heaven's sake. Put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes, and tell them that they're doing a good job. Just don't freak out if they start weeping uncontrollably. Most of the time, we feel like we're botching the whole deal and our kids will turn into horrible criminals who hate us and will never want to be around us when they're older.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You're bone-tired. I'm not sure when it's going to get better. Today might be a good day or it might be the day that you lost it in a way that surprised even yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Breathe in. Breathe out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You're not alone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After all that reading, you deserve a pic of the babies at 5mo :) That update is coming soon... or at least it's on my to-do list :)</span><br />
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Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-17672240896790381962013-05-01T09:16:00.001-06:002013-05-01T09:28:40.137-06:00Schedule shiftThe babies are just super grumpy when it comes to eating. When they aren't eating, they are happy, smiling... and just generally really good babies. I have no clue about this feeding thing, but it makes for really rough times. I've never met a baby who didn't like to eat... until these two came into the world :) I keep asking Heavenly Father what I'm supposed to be learning from this. Patience? I have no idea. All I know is that I'm tired of writing every single ml down that they drink and having to count everything up during the day.<br />
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They refuse to eat when propped up on boppy pillows too. I've even tried both in bouncy seats and that was a no go. So, I end up feeding them one at a time and they scream all the way through it. They also both take a half hour or longer to eat, so there is always one waiting to be fed or to get attention. I saw <a href="https://www.buytablefortwo.com/">this product </a>online yesterday called "<a href="https://www.buytablefortwo.com/">table for two</a>" and wished that it wasn't so darn expensive ($250)! I'd be so willing to try it out if I could try it for free. If It worked though for the babies... I'd be all over that and I'd gladly spend the money! Anyone want to donate?? :) <br />
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I feel awkward whenever people are watching us feed them... it just looks like we are just forcing them to eat. It feels terrible. However, if we don't, they don't eat. I've gotten the comments like "sure looks like they don't want that...." well, of course they don't... but they have to eat! <br />
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At the 4mo appointment the nurse asked if they were both taking over 30oz/day. I laughed to myself because I'm just proud that Ashlyn takes over 20 a day! Alton hits 30oz and sometimes more, so he is right on par. <br />
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We have gone back and forth on changing their schedule to spread out feedings. When we did this the first time, Ashlyn didn't make up for what she lost and we had to start getting her up in the middle of the night. She just doesn't cry to let us know she's hungry. The 2nd night in the hospital she was in the nursery. They didn't feed her at all. Why? Because she didn't cry to let them know. They had a lot of other babies in there that night and they were going off of cues. That's great and works for most babies, but for our little Ashlyn, she doesn't care to eat. I remember that next morning when the nurse brought her back in and looked at her chart and was like "well, Ashlyn last ate at... Oh my gosh! 9pm lastnight!!" It was 9am... and there she was just looking around and not crying. <br />
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So, this has been our struggle with her. Now, Alton has problems while he eats. I know it's reflux, because he arches and screams and starts coughing... but when he stops eating... he's fine and full of smiles. Feeding time makes me cringe and I hate that. There is nothing wrong with them other than a little reflux. They are just picky babies and they want you to know it lol. <br />
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Today we are staring to transition them to a different schedule. I am beyond nervous. The 7am feeding went ok so far... but Ashlyn put up a fuss halfway through. I was able to feed Alton while he was half asleep, but that's a rarity that I can get him to be half asleep so he'll take his bottle. It's so ridiculous lol.<br />
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New Feed and Nap Schedule:<br />
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7am: feeding #1<br />
9am: nap<br />
10:30-11:30am: feeding #2<br />
12:30pm: nap<br />
2pm: feeding #3<br />
4pm: nap<br />
5:30pm: feeding #4<br />
7pm: bath<br />
7:30: cat nap<br />
9pm: feeding #5... hopefully with them half asleep<br />
9:30-9:45: put babies down for the night. Silence :)<br />
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We will have to do this for a few days to see how it sticks. Ashlyn will probably go down with how much she eats, but I just have to trust that she will learn and take enough. I know that she won't wake us in the middle of the night. She has only ever done that 3x.. ever. It was always Alton who got us up and then we would just wake her up because he was up. So, we might have to do a midnight feeding or a 1am thing for a little bit... I really don't want to. So, we will see how this goes once we hit the weekend. Jon will be home and we can reevaluate. <br />
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We do run into a slight problem on one Sunday a month though. I teach a lesson the 2nd Sunday every month at my church and that starts at 11am. Let's just hope the babies eat faster by then... fat chance :) So, for those of you in Relief Society, I apologize in advance if I seem a bit frazzled or covered in throw up.<br />
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If you see us feeding and think to yourself "Why are they forcing those poor babies to eat??" Just know that we hate it too... but right now, it's the only way. <br />
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I can do it, I can do it! :) Wish me luck today... I need it! Diet coke... I might just have to use you today haha.<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-30545261209573175882013-04-30T08:38:00.001-06:002013-04-30T08:38:14.596-06:00Houston Fertility Institute LuauOnce a year our fertility institute has a "baby shower" to celebrate the success of their patients (both past and future). When we were going through treatments I remember seeing all the flyers about the "baby shower" and I remember feeling bittersweet about the whole thing. I was so excited for others who had found success, but at the same time, I still had this empty void. <br />
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A few weeks ago we attended our first event with HFI. It was a Luau theme. It was such a great time. There were Hawaiian dancers, food, petting zoo and a bounce house. We were stressed getting there. Ashlyn threw up in her car seat right before we left and we debated not going after that. I am so glad that we did. <br />
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This has been a huge journey for us, and it still is. I am so thankful for every moment of it. We will probably still face infertility in the future, but being where we are is such a blessing. These babies have changed our lives forever and we could not have gotten here without our amazing doctor- Doctor Jason Griffith.<br />
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It was so great seeing him and having him meet our babies. </div>
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A couple next to us had some grass skirts for their babies and they had a lot extra so, they gave one to Ashlyn :) She was super cute! Alton slept through the whole thing so we don't have any pictures of him. We didn't want to disturb! It was a great time and we had a lot of fun. </div>
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To those facing infertility, please don't give up hope. The most important thing is to not get down on yourself and know that you haven't done anything wrong. You aren't broken. Our bodies just work funny sometimes. We can find happiness in our lives, even when there is an empty void. Find an outlet by serving others, exercise or anything that makes you happy. </div>
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-73164337213093894852013-04-28T21:11:00.001-06:002013-04-28T21:11:35.853-06:004 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The babies are 4 months old. I can't believe how time has flown! We are slowly getting the hang of things around here. I'm sure all first time moms and dads feel the same way... but there are times where I just feel like I have no clue what I'm doing. We've managed to keep everyone alive though. I should get an award for that :)<br />
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We have our rough times, but the smiles and coos make up for it. <br />
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I had mentioned in their 3mo post that Alton was having some feeding problems. At the time we thought it was gas. Since then, we have found that he has some reflux issues. It just decided to rear its ugly head later than Ashlyn's reflux problems. He is now on prevacid like Ashlyn. It has been getting better, but he still puts up a huge fuss when it's time to eat. </div>
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We are starting to get them used to not being swaddled. So, at bed time we put them in these sleep sack things and when we do their "dream feed" at 10pm this is how we find them :) </div>
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Ashlyn's eating has gotten better. She still has her rough feedings where she will spit her food out at you and cry through it, but more often than not, she eats like a champ and sucks it down! She is also eating so much more and has been throwing up less. Woohoo! (knock on wood for the feeding coming up at 10pm tonight...)</div>
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Alton and Ashlyn have been having a lot of tummy time lately. We have to do it before they eat now. Otherwise, all their food just comes out if we do it after a feeding.<br />
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Alton used to just love being on his tummy, but the last month, he has been super grumpy about it and not the biggest fan. He is coming around though. <br />
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Ashlyn is so good at tummy time! For a while she really struggled and she couldn't lift her head. Now she is a pro! I have a feeling that she will crawl before Alton!<br />
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The babies had their 4 mo appointment on Friday the 26th. My mother-in-law, Anne was able to come with me to help. Before we packed up the babies we found Sookie hanging out in Ashlyn's car seat. It was quite comical :) Poor cat. She has handled the babies pretty well though. She is hesitant of them and keeps her distance, but she is always nearby. </div>
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The doctor appointment was pretty rough. Alton (our resident grump), started crying at the very start when he was getting weighed. Poor little guy. He is just so sensitive! I had a hard time trying to talk to the doctor because I was just trying to calm him down. The doctor was really happy with their growth and she didn't have any concerns this time around. Thank goodness! The babies got 2 shots and an oral vaccine. There were a lot of crocodile tears. It hurt my heart to see them in pain. Those needles are big! Bigger than the syringes I had to use when I was going through infertility treatments! Sad! They've been doing well though. No fevers or anything. The only noticeable difference is that Alton has thrown up a few times. He did this after his 2mo shots too. </div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;">Stats:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;">Alton:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;">Weight: 13lbs 11<span style="color: #0000ee;">oz <span style="color: #0000ee;">- 27.17%</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0000ee;">Head: 16.26"</span><br />
<span style="color: #0000ee;">Length: <span style="color: #0000ee;">24" (19.57%)... I think he was closer to 25"...</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;">He love<span style="color: #0000ee;">s:</span> </span> Smiling and giggling, wearing socks, looking at pictures, sucking on his hands, standing, playing on the activity mat, reaching for toys, sitting in his "buzz chair", splashing in the water at bath time, bicycle legs, being held and talked to and cooing back to you..... and being grumpy haha. Although, you can't tell by these pictures :)<br />
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Ashlyn:<br />
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Weight: 11lbs 6oz - 9%<br />
Head: 15.83"<br />
Length:23.5" (24.21%)<br />
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She loves: Smiling, tummy time, holding her ball rattle, sucking on her fingers, standing, making sounds, being on her side, looking at pictures, seeing herself in the mirror, watching everything and tracking things with her eyes.<br />
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No pictures of them sitting next to each other on the couch. Ashlyn kept pushing up on her feet and that caused her to slide down every time we were about to take a picture. Oh well. <br />
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This was after we finished taking their 4mo pictures haha... They were getting bored :) I love Ashlyn's face... "Seriously, Alton?"<br />
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Okay, one last one :) I have a hard time getting good pictures of Alton. I will work on that. <br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-30360784486401919012013-04-28T17:31:00.005-06:002013-04-28T17:31:54.410-06:00So, this happened...Today I needed to do some laundry because burp cloths were running low and Alton had thrown up on me in the morning. I added some extra items to the load, started the washing machine and left. <br />
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When I went to move it to the dryer, this is what I found.<br />
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Yep. A DIAPER! I have no idea how it got in there or why. Thank goodness it wasn't a dirty diaper!!<br />
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Here is a picture comparing the diaper that soaked up tons of water in the wash (left) and a normal wet diaper (right).<br />
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Rookie mistake- haha!Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-48815940441118110042013-04-11T20:43:00.000-06:002013-04-11T20:43:17.632-06:003 Months and a visit from Auntie Shannon and Uncle Ron!Okay- I'm behind! I'm at least getting their 3 mo update before they hit 4 months on the 27th, right?? <br />
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On March 22-25th my sister, Shannon and her husband, Ron were able to come out for a visit. I felt bad because their daughters, Madison and Serena weren't able to come, but they'll come out some day :). For the trip we rented a mini-van. Can I just say... I can't wait to get a mini-van??? That thing was so nice!! Anyways, on Friday the 22nd we fed the babies in the morning and then we went down to pick up the van so that we could all go and pick up Shannon and Ron at the airport. <br />
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When we picked them up at the airport, their gate was E something. So, we headed to terminal "E". I knew that E was for international flights... but I wasn't sure where else to go. They got in and it turned out they came out in terminal C. It was a little funny. We sure had an adventure finding them haha. </div>
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Anyways, we had fun hanging out at home that night and then we went out for fro-yo at Menchies. Other outings we made while they were here was going to the grocery store, looking at model homes, going out to eat, church and things like that. Nothing super exciting, but it was so good to have them out here to meet the babies. It was fun to watch them see and feed the babies for the first time. <br />
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The babies were still sleeping downstairs when they were here, so they weren't bothered by any crying :)</div>
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Thanks for coming out! We loved having you here! Next time we can go out and do more fun things :) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alton didn't want them to leave :)</td></tr>
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On Tues. the 26th (a day before 3mo) Ashlyn had another doc appt. She looks thrilled, huh?<br />
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The doctor put her on new formula that smells so horrendous. It's terrible! It's supposed to be digested more quickly so that she doesn't have the opportunity to throw up later. <br />
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So we will see how that goes. She has been on it ever since. She is doing pretty well on it. She has still thrown up... but I guess that's just normal baby stuff. At this appointment she was also taken off of Zantac and put on Prevacid. I was SO thankful. Zantac was 3x/day by a syringe in the mouth. She hated it. Prevacid is a pill that we have to cut in half and then it either dissolves in her mouth by us holding it in her cheek or I dissolve it in a little water and have her take it through a syringe. She is much happier about taking it. </div>
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She was also weighed at that appointment. She was 9lbs 7oz! Alton weighed that much at 2months haha. Oh well. The good thing is that she is growing! She was back up into the 3rd percentile. </div>
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A week after that appointment we were to go back and check up on her. They weighed her and she was 9lbs 14oz :) Woohoo! Almost 1/2lb in a week! She was even in the 4th percentile! Slowly but surely... she's getting there :) We just have to keep going a day at a time and be very patient. She still takes forever to eat and you never know when she's going to have a formula explosion!</div>
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Alton has just been a champ. <br />
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He is such a good little boy. His head control has gotten really good! Last week we even got a laugh out of him for the first time ever. It was so cute! Jon was tickling him and I looked over and his eyes went wide was like "oh my gosh!! Alton laughed!!". It was so exciting! </div>
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The past few days for Alton have been a little rough. I think he's going through some funny gas pains. He just starts crying while he's eating and gets super fussy. We are having to take our time with him now. Two babies who have problems eating... yikes. <br />
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At 3 months we made the big move to their nursery upstairs!! I know... big step! I wear a pedometer that also counts flights of stairs. I've had days where I've hit 30-35 flights in one day. At least I'm getting my exercise! I need to take pictures of their nursery... but for now, here they are sleeping in their cribs for the first time! Note: that fuzzy thing they are on top of is now gone. It was just to help them transition from being super snug in their bassinets to being in a wide open crib! (sorry the pics are so blurry...)<br />
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Here they are at 3 months! They are just so dang cute! My days can be really tiring and frustrating... but when they smile at you- it makes up for all of it. <br />
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Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-2149836526360510342013-04-03T08:20:00.000-06:002013-04-03T08:20:03.308-06:00One of those days...I just wanted to write this down before I forget... it'll be something to laugh at later :)<br />
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So, there are days that seem never ending and like nothing could get any worse. As parents, we've all been there. Getting puked on by a baby while the cat is throwing up... and then you have another baby crying at the same time. You just don't have as many hands as you need! Well, Sunday night-Monday (April 1st) morning was one of those times.<br />
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Sunday night I was feeding Ashlyn at the 10pm feeding. She was taking her formula like a champ! She had just finished her bottle and as I was taking it out of her mouth, she started to make a funny face. Then, out of no where- it all came back up and the poor thing had formula coming out of her nose! It literally shot out of her nose and hit Jon who was sitting on the floor next to me feeding Alton. Jon just started laughing because he couldn't believe how much distance she got! We cleaned everything up and put the babies down for the night. <br />
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I got up with Ashlyn at 2:30am and fed her. While feeding her I heard Jon get up and he was mumbling something. I didn't hear Alton crying upstairs, so I didn't know what was up. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, "The cat threw up." Great. So, he was in the bedroom cleaning that up. I couldn't help him because Ashlyn was sucking down her bottle. I was hoping this wouldn't foreshadow the rest of the night. For some reason, she takes her bottle like a champ at the 2:30am feeding. I don't know what it is, but she sucks it down like Alton! Anyways, she did pretty well and she went back down pretty fast. Alton started making some noise when I put her down. I made sure he hadn't slid down in his crib (I have blankets under the mattress to keep them elevated). I went back downstairs and went to bed. <br />
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Between then at about 5:30am I had to get up 2x to calm Alton down. Then at 5:30am he started wailing! Jon's alarm was about to go off to get up for the day and Jon was super grumpy (can you blame him? Cat throw up at 2:30am and now this. BTW- I hate waking up before the alarm!). He got up to help Alton because we were able to see him on the camera monitor that he had rolled to the side and was hitting his head on the side of the crib. I ended up taking over and Alton ended up going into the swing until just before 7am. It calmed him down pretty well.<br />
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We had a Dr. appt for Ashlyn on Monday morning (8:10am) so we needed to make sure we were ready to go and start the feeding right at 7am so we could make it in time. The feeding started and Jon was feeding Ashlyn. She was crying, Jon was tired, she wasn't latching or swallowing... so Jon's grumpy level started to go up. Then... our cat, Sookie, started to dig her food out of her bowl so that the food went all over the floor. Alton was in my arms just sucking down his bottle and then before I knew it... Jon was burping Ashlyn and then she threw up all over his work shoes and a nearby play mat. Yikes. I was half expecting Sookie to join in by throwing up, but thankfully, she didn't. <br />
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We got all cleaned up and got everyone ready and headed out. We even got to the appt. early! What a morning... it wasn't even 8 am yet :) Oh the things that happen. It is frustrating, but when you look back on it, it's something to remember. We are so very grateful to have these sweet babies. Even when they spit at us :) <br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8316738927768860328.post-31051022705523283652013-03-28T20:24:00.001-06:002013-03-28T20:41:52.970-06:002 months and a visit from Grandad I know I am a bit behind.. but here are the ABC twins at 2 months :) Feb. 27th, 2013<br />
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I'm biased.. but aren't they so cute???? Alton was looking when I took this picture but looked away right as it took the picture. He's a silly little boy.<br />
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A little before 2 months we started getting worried about Ashlyn's eating. She was taking forever to eat and she wasn't eating close to what Alton was eating. I had many calls to the doctor's office where I spoke with a nurse. They told me, "She's a girl. She will eat less than Alton." So, I figured that was that. Then the spit up started. Then the crying whenever she saw the bottle started, kicking, shaking head... this poor girl just didn't want to eat. She fell from the 3% to the 2nd percentile. Our doctor told us that she thought that Ashlyn might have an underdeveloped larynx (<span class="userContent">Laryngomalacia)</span>. This meant that the cartilage of her voice box was very soft and it collapses while she breathes and eats. This explained all her weird noises she makes! She also has some reflux. The doctor decided to put her on Zantac to help with that (we have since taken her off of it... that will come in a different post). Oh.My.Disgusting! We had to give it to her 3x/day by a small syringe in her mouth. It smelled so awful. She hated it! So did we. <br />
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At their two month appointment they had to get shots! Boo! Jon was able to come with me for that. Ashlyn cried a ton (I might've had to fight back my own tears...) and Alton took his shots like a champ. He hardly cried. He's such a good boy!<br />
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Here is Ashlyn after her shots:<br />
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Here is Alton after his shots- he got a Batman sticker haha :) <br />
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Alton's Stats:<br />
<ul>
<li>Weight: 9lbs 7oz</li>
<li>Height: 20.75" - I really think this was wrong. The nurse who did it was turrible... yes, you read that right: <b>turrible</b>. Alton didn't stretch out very far either. </li>
<li>Head: 14.76"</li>
</ul>
Ashlyn's Stats<br />
<ul>
<li>Weight: 8lbs </li>
<li>Height: 20.5"</li>
<li>Head: 14.45"</li>
</ul>
After this appointment we took Ashlyn to the ENT to check out her throat. They had to stick a scope down her nose. Saddest.Thing.Ever. Jon went in with her while I stayed with Alton. She was three rooms down and I could hear her like she was in the same room because she was just screaming. Poor thing. They confirmed that she has <span class="userContent">Laryngomalacia</span>. It is pretty mild and will most likely heal itself and go away over time. So... this mixed with her little bit of reflux makes her life really hard every feeding. I have to keep telling myself, "I am strong and tough and I can get through this with her." Especially during the feedings where she throws up and I have no idea how much she actually ate.<br />
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During this time, my dad (aka: "Grandad") came out for a visit! We were so excited to have him here! He was a little nervous to hold the babies, but he got used to them pretty quickly. His first morning with us was a little funny. I will never forget the look on his face when I told him, "It's time for them to eat again" and he was like "What? Really? Are you feeding them too much??". The look on his face was priceless. We didn't do a whole lot, but it was nice to visit with him and for him to meet his grandkids- #12 and #13 for him! Thanks for coming, Dad! We love and miss you and hope you come back soon!<br />
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I loved having his help during the day. It's so hard to feed both the babies at once. Especially because Ashlyn puts up a fight and no longer likes to be fed on the boppy pillow. Since her hatred for the boppy pillow has come, I am feeding them one at a time when I'm by myself. Ugh. So, I always need and love help at feedings. It makes my life A LOT less stressful. A lot less tears from Ashlyn... and mommy. <br />
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One last thing that developed between 2-3mo: They started holding their heads better! Alton is getting really good at it too! He will just look around and he is so strong. Ashlyn still has to work on holding her head up. It's hard to do tummy time with all this reflux. All her food comes out when she's on her tummy. So, for now, she is our bobble head :) Alton loves being on his tummy. It's his favorite position to be in. He is our little meatloaf!<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08080161777345582075noreply@blogger.com3