8 months old!!!

We have officially reached my very favorite stage of infancy!  The twins are absolutely blossoming before my very eyes!  They have become so curious, chatty and eager to move!  The both are getting more proficient at sitting up with a little help and have figured out how to maneuver their little bodies around by wiggling, shimmying or rocking from side to side.  I watched Jamesy roll from his back to his belly for the first time yesterday and I know that Juju is right behind him.  James has two bottom teeth now and Julia is still gumming everything that she can get her hands on, I know teeth are just around the corner for her as well. :)  When assessing their developmental milestones, I definitely consider their corrected gestational age...They, particularly Juju, are consistently a month behind where the big girls were, it is SO EXCITING to watch them come into their own, explore their little environments and to interact with us!

Their personalities are shining through more and more each day.  Julia, with her delicate features and tiny little body, has a sweet and happy demeanor.  She smiles so much of her wakeful time and gives off little squeaks of approval.  She has a soft, high pitched voice.  She loves to cuddle and will gently rub her cheek on my own.  She is so patient and doesn't demand much unless she is hungry or tired, which makes me want to pour the love on even more.  She does get herself worked up sometimes, though, that's for sure.  She and Jamesy must have worked it out that she would be the sole notifier when they're done sleeping.  I will usually go into their room after hearing Julia's screams to find her red-faced and James completely happy and at ease.  Speaking of James, he has that same twinkle in his eye that Hannah does.  That look that indicates the wheels are turning.  I have a feeling our James is going to be really great at finding fun wherever he is. He, too, smiles much of the day and will dissolve into giggles at a moments notice.  He has a husky little voice and he gets a kick out of holding his sounds for as long as his breath will allow him.  His favorite sound, though, is his loud battle cry when he's really wanting you to pay him some attention.  If you are too close when he belts one out, you risk blowing out an ear drum.  He is so strong and so active.  It's easy to know when he's done cuddling because he starts wiggling his body furiously making it hard to hold onto him. :-P  He goes to town in his jumperoo and is happiest jumping around like a madman.  When he wants something he appears to attack it with vigor.  Much like with the big girls at this age, it feels as though their little senses of humor are developing and we are able to giggle together already.  One of my favorite inside jokes takes place at bathtime.  When I am undressing them, I am sure to leave their onesie undershirt pulled up over their heads.  Every single night when we round the corner into the bathroom and look in the mirror we all start giggling.  They could have been screaming the second before, but they always grin as soon as they see their crazy head dress.  I can tell already that we are going to have so much fun together. :)

We have fallen into a routine!  Praise the Lord!  The twins have been waking up between 6 and 630 each day.  After I feed them their bottles, they have their breakfast and then go straight down for their morning nap around 730-8.  They will sleep up to two and a half hours so long as we don't have anywhere we need to go!  They'll usually be up by 1030, have a bottle, play, and have lunch around 1145-noon. They will take another bottle before naptime and go down round 12:30-1:00.  They'll usually sleep until 330, take another bottle, play, and then go down for a catnap at 445-500 for about 45 minutes.  They'll have dinner around 6-630, then bathtime, a bottle and bedtime at 730.  I am overjoyed to report that as of last week, Julia has been sleeping through the night!!!!!

They have become great little eaters!  I have still been pumping 7 times a day, and have, very thankfully, been able to meet their needs (about 25 ounces each per day) since they started eating three meals a day.  I had been using my freezer stash to supplement until it was depleted in mid-March (they had been taking around 30 ounces each per day prior to starting solids.)  I had agonized over what formula to use for supplementation (given our big girls' and my sensitivity to dairy and all of the concern with soy and GMOs) but I finally settled on Earth's Best Organic. (First world problems, I know. :-P)  They only needed about 4 ounces each per day, and, luckily, they tolerated it well.  We started with fruit and vegetable purees for breakfast in mid-March, and it was probably mid-April before they really "got it."  At that point, we added lunch and dinner and increased the amount.  They are each eating three ounces of puree for each meal.  So far they have eaten: avocados, apples, pears, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peas, carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  It seems that all are appreciated, except maybe cauliflower, Jamesy sometimes grimaces with that one depending on what I have it mixed with. :-P  The big girls LOVE helping me make the babies food, because it involves pressing the button on the food processor.  It's a good thing, too, because we makes lots of it!  These two know how to go through some food!  Especially Jamesy, Nick and I joke that food is his love language. ;-)

I am trying so hard to focus on cherishing each day with these two as babies, but, at the same time, I am so excited to watch them grow!

Getting ready for church!

James' mug shots!

He's thinking about something important, I'm sure. :-P

Julia's mug shots:

All of our babies at 8 months...