4 months & 2 years!

With Emmy's recent birthday, I couldn't help but reflect on how drastically life has changed over the last 4 years.  I am absolutely in awe of all four of our precious blessings, and feel so honored that God made me their mama.  I'm not going to lie, though, this time has been hard.  Really, really hard.  It's crazy how you can feel so overwhelmed while also savoring the moment.  I know there is going to be a time when I miss the crazy, and I try really hard to focus on that.  With practice, I have become pretty efficient at completing those tasks of the highest priority (pumping, meal prep, dishes, bathtime, etc.)  I run through my day (and night) as if I am completing a complicated obstacle course, and I am as clumsy as they come...Every task requires forethought, and each step I have learned the hard way, which has just burned it into my memory for the next time.  I used to laugh that God was going to reveal what I'm made of, and now I consider myself to be living proof that He provides.  He ALWAYS provides exactly what is needed, whether it be patience, an extra big pumping, or a solution to a problem.  How did I ever live without Him?

I am overjoyed to say that all of our babies are absolutely thriving, as per our patient pediatrician!  Last week was our joint 4 month and 2 year well check-ups for Hannah, James and Julia!  I very well might've shaved years off my life pulling a stunt like that all by myself, between keeping everyone reasonably content and cooperative and out of the garbage and three sets of immunizations, I was spent by 11 o'clock in the morning.

James and Julia's little personalities are emerging!  They are HAPPY little ones, sharing giggles, squawks and smiles liberally.  They love to be cuddled and sang to, and James has some serious tickle spots on his jaw line.  Julia is always quick to return a smile when smiled at.  They have become very grabby and hold on for dear life to whatever might be in their reach-hair, toys, eachother's hands.  It's almost like they give hugs when they're being held, they are known to wrap their sweet arms around my neck.  They are trying hard to "help" hold their bottles at feeding times.

They are good at holding their heads up now; Jamesy has a little more stamina than Julia, but they are both doing a fantastic job.  I am pretty embarrassed to admit that they have both developed some flat spots on the back of their heads from laying down.  It's kind of a one-two punch, given that all I want to do is hold and cuddle our babies, but  I can't and keep the rest of our family and home afloat.  They are so happy and content and such wonderful sleepers that I have let them lay down more than I ever did with the girls.  The good news, is that it's purely cosmetic and that their little heads can round out on their own in the next couple of months with plenty of time upright and rotating how they sleep.  So, along with safety and nourishment, my top priority is keeping the babies upright (in their jumperoos, bumbo seats, propping them up on the couch or bed, wearing them, etc.) whenever they are awake.  It might be optimistic thinking, but I think I've already noticed a difference...Praying that we can avoid the helmets, but very grateful that we have options if it comes down to that.

The twins are eating well, typically six feedings a day.  The first one being their largest with about six ounces and the others with four to five ounces.  I am doing my very best to keep up with their milk demands, but a pumping injury and a growth spurt have tested me big time.  I am grateful for our robust freezer stash to make up the difference until I can get my supply up to snuff.  Pumping has become a very time-consuming task, and I would give anything to be able to nurse the babies (both for the convenience factor and the precious cuddle time,) but in the handful of times I've tried recently, it's evident that we have a long way to go (Jules was far more focused than James) and I just don't have the time in my day to commit to it while also keeping up with the other kids.  So for now, I will carry on with the pumping since I am totally committed to providing their milk.  I am more stubborn than a pit bull when it comes to certain things.

Their sleep routine is just beginning to take shape.  They began sleeping through the night on December 13th (which was SO APPRECIATED through the holidays so that I could get stuff done after hours!)  They went down around 9 and would get up around 7!  AMAZING!  We transitioned them to their separate cribs in the nursery on December 31st.  We've had a little bit of a sleep set back just after New Years, with their 4 month growth spurt.  That's when I dipped into the freezer stash, and since they've been enjoying some heartier meals, James is back to sleeping all night and Jules is down to one meal a night, usually in the 4 o'clock hour (after going down at 8PM.)  They are beginning to fall into the 1-2-3 hour nap pattern (awake for one hour, nap, awake for two hours, nap, and then awake for three hours and down for the night.)  They sleep exceptionally well in their caseats on school days when I have a bunch of errands to run.  It is such a blessing to be able to have that whole time out tackling my to-do list so that I can avoid taking all four kids to the store.

JULIA

11 pounds 4.5 ounces (1%ile-no longer on the preemie chart!)

23.5 inches tall (7%ile also off the preemie chart!)

I'll have to go back and find the measurement for her head circumference...

JAMES

15 pounds 5.5 ounces (38%ile)

24.75 inches tall (21%ile)

41.2cm head circumference (24%ile)

Getting coiffed by Sis.

HANNAH

26.2 pounds (44%ile)

35 inches tall (88%ile)

As for our dear Hannah, she is turning into a little lady right before our eyes.  Her vocabulary has exploded in the last two weeks and she has been communicating to us in sentences!  "Hannah like trains" or "Where Emmy go?" she is finally a contributor to the incessant dialogue throughout our day.  Every time I turn around she is trying out a new word, it's hard to recall them all!  One of my favorite phrases is "O'tay, Mommy."  Music to my ears!!  Nick and I get a kick out of her pronunciation of her favorite snack, Pirates Booty; it sounds like "hairy poopy."  I mourn the day she says it properly.

Speaking of snacks, it's Hannah's favorite mealtime of the day (next to breakfast.)  If given the choice, she would exist only on pancakes, pirates booty, bananas, Campbells' chicken noodle soup, almond milk, ice cream, cheese (which she eats sparingly because of adverse GI effects,) apple sauce, chocolate, cheerios, hummus (better known as "hummy"), peanut butter, bean and cheese quesadillas and condiments such as jam and ketchup. 

When it comes to sleep, she rocks my world.  Hannah usually wakes up around 7 or 730 (sometimes 8 if we had a particularly long day before) and goes down for a 2.5-3 hour nap at 1230 or 1.  She then goes back down for sleep at 730(ish).  

Hannah is increasingly interested in the potty, I have made this assumption based on the fact that she likes to take her diaper off as soon as it's soiled.  We've had more than a few wake-ups at naptime because a Sissy, clad only in her birthday suit, has relieved herself in her crib.  She is no longer interested in her behemoth sleep sack, but she will agree to footie jammies, which seem to make the difference.  By the grace of God, she is still in her crib, but Nick and I are bracing ourselves for the day that she attempts to climb out.  We are fearful that it might be soon. For now, we cherish the fact that she is one of our offspring that sleeps consistently at naptime and at night!

She is still obsessed with her baboos, and her collection has exploded!  She likes to take care of them, feed them and push them around in the stroller.  She has become an avid "reader" and very carefully inspects every page of the books we read.  She likes to bring books into her crib at naptime to "read" before she goes to sleep.  She has a new fascination with trains, particularly Thomas the train, of whom she calls "Tommy."  Caillou has a rival in our house.  She loves duplo legos and packing things in bags and carrying them around.  She also LOVES her toothbrush...It looks like an over-sized crayola crayon and it buzzes while she brushes her teeth.  She makes multiple trips a day to the kids' bathroom to retrieve her toothbrush and toothpaste.  She is also very much into animals and the noises they make.  She tells me that "ephaphants" (elephants) are her favorite, but I believe that puppy dogs are a close second.  

To Hannah, Emmy walks on water, until she doesn't.  They adore one another but know exactly what buttons to press to get a rise out of the other one.  I am going to have to brush up on my refereeing because I suspect my job is going to involve a lot of that once the twins enter the play scene.  Hannah doesn't take nonsense from anyone and is very quick to dig her heels in.  But she's also quick to say she's sorry, which makes me feel as though we must be doing something right.  Hannah is very self confident, innovative, independent-thinking, pretty dramatic, and yet warm, loving and cuddly, especially when she's in her comfort zone.  Her favorite song to dance to is "Roar" by Katy Perry and her favorite song to sing (with hand motions) is "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and without hand motions is "Frosty the Snowman" (Frosy Nowman in Hannah speak.)  

Love them!