We're Half a Year Old!

 

Happy Six Months, Cody & Jaden!

 

During the boys' sixth month, life seemed to turn a bit of a corner (in the positive direction!) for our family. Jaden and Cody began sitting up independently, opening up a whole new world of playtime. Also, they (FINALLY!) started to sleep a bit better, which put a whole new light on life for Daddy and Mommy! We love seeing our boys grow and develop each month. Here are some of their monthly highlights:

 

SLEEPING HABITS

• Most of the month was miserable! (We woke up 10-12 times each night to rock the boys, often getting only 1-2 hour stretches of sleep.)
• By the end of the month, we were exhausted-- physically & mentally.
• Amy read Dr. Ferber's Solving Your Child's Sleep Problems book and was very motivated to try the progressive cry it out method.
• After 3 nights (that thankfully weren't nearly as rough as we feared), both boys were sleeping MUCH better.
• Now, the twins wake up only 1-2 times at night, if at all, and sleep solely in their crib.
• We had one GLORIOUS night when both boys slept through the night (hooray!!).
• We're still working on developing a more consistent naptime schedule, as their naps are still very short.

EATING HABITS

• Still nurse 5-6 times per day, with a supplemental bottle
• Jaden is doing well with his Alimentum formula. (We've had to only buy one can, as the dr. office and the Similac company have donated multiple cans and cases to our family!)
• Because of Jaden's healthy looking diapers again, we have the green light to start solids next month.
• Less spit-up (hooray!) 

BOTH BOYS

 

(Cody on L)

(Jaden on L)

(Cody on L)

 

(Jaden on L-- First Pair of Shoes!!) 

 

Much more progress with sitting up (only topple backward occasionally)

Put EVERYTHING into their mouths (toys, Mommy's hair, Daddy's glasses...)

Started to steal pacifiers straight from each other's mouth!

Favorite toys: teething ring, stacking cups, Glow Worm, activity gym

Love being pulled up to a standing position

Take small steps when being held up

Love playing peek-a-boo

Giggle when their shirts are being pulled over their heads

Love going on errands (Mommy did a LOT this month!)

Are very popular in public (We make friends with LOTS of strangers!)

Go on frequent walks with Daddy

Very interested in watching Daddy & Mommy eat

 

 

The Jaden-Man

 

 

 

Weighs in at 15 lbs. 2 1/2 oz.

Loves rolling all over

Often hoards toys underneath himself, and then steals even more from Cody!

Naps for longer stretches during the day

Started cutting one bottom front tooth at the end of the month

Favorite position is on his tummy

Our Little Codester

 

(Can you see his 2 new bottom teeth?)

 

Weighs in at 14 lbs. 12 oz.

Sleeps for longer stretches at night, even over the screams of his brother

LOVES knocking over his stacking cups

Started cutting 2 bottom teeth at the end of the month

Favorite position is "standing" up

Thanksgiving in ABQ (Part 2)

What a joy it was to be with the Walquists at Thanksgiving! Adding four new members to this family within the past 7 months has certainly changed the dynamics of our gatherings. Our days were active, noisy, and full of playtime. Here, Ryan and Cody enjoy some cousin bonding.

The 3 youngest boys played in a circle, although Ryan wasn't quite sure he wanted to join in (the poor guy was fighting a cold the whole weekend). Cody tried to comfort his ailing cousin.

Ian was a loving, eager playmate for his little cousins all weekend. Here he is with Jaden.

Ian's other favorite activity of the weekend was taking pictures with his new kid-friendly digital camera. He was GREAT at taking all kinds of up-close pictures from unique perspectives. 

Not surprisingly, he used up all his camera's memory in no time flat, so Kim and Amy helped him delete some of his unrecognizable photos.

The boys brought some of their toys from home to play with. Cody never lets us leave far from home without his favorite stacking cups!

We all enjoyed some aunt/uncle playtime as well! Cody loved Aunt Kim's airplane rides.

Ryan was full of giggles as he bounced with Aunt Amy.

Cody loved listening to stories read by Uncle Andrew.

Some of the little ones enjoyed showing off their new skills. Cody has really taken to "walking" around the house. He eagerly puts one foot in front of the other when an adult holds him up. Uncle Andrew the PT was a great encourager!

Ryan showed us how well he can sit up now... without any support. Way to go, little buddy! He was so content, just sitting and playing on the floor. We were quite impressed with his calm demeanor compared with our active, on-the-go twins.

And, of course, our days were filled with lots of baby holding. Precious little Abby was so cuddly!

Cody enjoyed being held by Papa.

Jaden giggles with Uncle Andrew...

...and Cody laughs with Grammy.

Aunt Kim mastered the dual twin-hold...

...while Andrew taught his daughter all about hairstyling!

Believe it or not, the adults were able to fit in some fun even without the kiddos. We fit in a game of partner Stone Age one night. Another night, some adults tried out a special hand wax.

We were also able to continue one of our favorite ABQ traditions and eat out at Tucanos, a yummy Brazilian grill. Upon arriving at the table, our waiter commented, "Boy, there are a lot of babies over here!" The fact that we'd still attempt a dinner out with 5 kids (and 4 of them infants) certainly IS a testament to how much we love this restaurant!

Probably the biggest fan of the restaurant is Jason-- nothing (not even the belt on his pants) will hold him back from eating to his heart's content!

And finally, here are some family group shots. All the kiddos with their parents...

...and Grammy and Papa with their grandkids.

In order to get a successful picture above, the rest of us had to be a bit obnoxious.

We are certainly blessed to be a part of such a fun, loving family! Thank you, Grammy & Papa, for being such wonderful hosts for all of us. We love you!

Thanksgiving in ABQ (Part 1)

As we were packing up to leave for our week-long, 15+ hour drive to Albuquerque in late November, we started to wonder if we were crazy for embarking on this adventure with 6-month-old twins. However, we were very excited to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Walquist family, so we knew our efforts would be worthwhile.

 

This was officially the boys' first road trip (our longest journey by car prior to this had only been 20 min. across town!). We figured it was only fitting to give the boys a chance to see what it felt like behind the wheel.

 

 

We were very pleased, and quite honestly somewhat surprised, with how well Jaden and Cody traveled. With our extra stops, the journey took closer to 20 hours (over 2 days), but the boys were both relatively content in the car. We read lots of stories, sang countless songs, and played with many toys.

 

Despite the twins' good moods, we were VERY happy to finally arrive at Mom & Dad W.'s home. We jumped right into the Thanksgiving festivities on Thursday-- worship at church in the morning, and a yummy turkey meal in the afternoon.

What were Jaden & Cody doing during their first Thanksgiving feast? Rolling around happily on one of Grammy's many blankets. Of course, this only lasted for a few minutes, and then in typical fashion, Amy & Jason both ate with a twin sitting in our lap.

Following the tasty turkey meal (and all the heavy-duty playtime), Cody and Jaden decided it was time for a nap, resting on Mommy. What a precious moment!

The nap was important, as we all had to be rested up for the Lions game! Unfortunately, even with an exciting overtime, the Lions couldn't pull out a victory. Sorry, boys!

Since our families are not together for Christmas this year, we decided to celebrate a bit early with a gift exchange. It was enjoyable to watch Cody and Jaden open gifts, as they could actually somewhat take part in the process. Cody thought it was important to taste each gift first...

...but then eventually got the hang of tearing the wrapping paper.

 

His first present was an adorable Christmas outfit from Grammy & Papa. Jaden and cousin Ryan received matching outfits, as well. So cute!

 

 

Jaden had no problem tearing right into the wrapping paper.

 

He loved the set of trucks he received from the TX Schleichers. They sure know what little boys like!



 

More presents... The boys were probably just as taken by the tissue paper as they were by the gifts inside!

 



Uncle Andrew and Aunt Sarah gave the boys their first set of wooden blocks. What a great idea! Cody, again, decided to attack it mouth first, while Jaden attempted to embrace the box. They will certainly enjoy these blocks for years to come! Thanks, AZ Walquists!

 





Cousin Ian was a pro at opening presents.

He also showed our boys how to properly give thanks for presents received. Thanks for the love and kisses, Ian!

Cousin Ryan and Cody must've taken gift-opening lessons together.

 



 

Little Abby was a bit too young to help with her own present-opening, but she was certainly a relaxed, patient on-looker! What a little cutie!

 



What a wonderful first Thanksgiving Day as a family of four!



 

More Thanksgiving adventures to come...