Friday, June 29, 2012

Eggiversary

One year ago today my sister gave me the most incredible gift.  She not only offered to put herself through one of the most physically and emotionally trying process but she jumped at the chance to help us make our dreams come true.  She has changed our lives forever and I can never express how truly grateful I am.  I love my boys to the ends of the earth and without her I would never have had the chance to be a mommy. 

4 month Check-up
Fynn 14 pounds 4 ounces
Hudson 13 pounds 14 ounces

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Four Months



Four Months

My babies turned 4 months old on Sunday and I am loving every minute with them.  Wow, what a ride! How your life can change in just minutes is still unbelievable to me. I love these boys with everything I am,  I can't imagine life without their smiling faces.  Whenever they look into my eyes they literally melt my heart.  For the first two months every time both of them looked at me with their intense little stare I literally started bawling (hubby thought I was insane). 
Fynn
You are starting to calm down (a bit). Mommy thinks you might have been a bit overtired and now that we are putting you down for naps sooner you have relaxed a bit.  You are still constantly in motion but we wouldn't have it any other way.  Your smile is huge and you could light up an entire room.  You don't just give your smiles away either, people have to work for them but they are soooo worth the effort.  You are a wiggler and a squirmer and it is so adorable.  Today you actually rolled over for the first time and when I say rolled I should say squirmed your way over.  Mommy needs to remember not to leave you on the change table or couch any more because we don't want to have any accidents. Your eye has cleared up which is such a relief, no more eye boogers. You are getting much better at this sleep thing.  You only wake up once in the night and it is now around 4am for a quick bottle and then back to sleep until 8am.. Mommy and daddy are enjoying the extra sleep and it just makes morning even more special because mommy is even more excited to see you.  You give me the best smiles in the morning and I cant wait to play with you.  You still haven't mastered the whole self soothing thing but that's okay.  Mommy probably isn't helping because she loves to cuddle and rock you until you are fast asleep.  Daddy has decided that sleep training is the way to go but he is only home at night so what he doesn't know wont hurt him. Daddy choose the method where he lets you cry for 5 minutes and then for 10 minutes.  You usually win though because we just aren't ready to let you cry.  Most times you fall asleep after 15 minutes of this so called training (I keep telling daddy you aren't a dog) but when it goes on longer than 25 minutes daddy gives in and picks you up (I know that is only making it worse for when we do decide to train but I guess we aren't ready yet).  You sleep for 12 hours at night (minus the 20-30 mins for your bottle) and then have 2 or 3 naps (approx. an hour to 2 hours long) You are starting to eat less often and take in a bit more at each feedings.  It seems so civilized.  You have just started to discover your hands and you are mesmerized by them.  You are playing with your hanging toys on your playmat like crazy and your legs literally never stop. 
I love you, I love you, I love you.
Hudson
My sweet faced boy.  You are a flirt and the women love you. You bat those eyelashes and smile with a squint. You are my even tempered boy who is so cool and collected it kills me.  You are just so easy going and relaxed all of the time.  When you fuss daddy and I are shocked because it just doesn't happen.  You are a sleeper now.  You love to sleep and have been sleeping through the night from 9pm until 8am for about a week.  You also  love your naps and some of them last up to 3 hours You are pretty easy to put to sleep and you are even able to sleep through your brothers crying.  You have really slimmed out my boy, your brother has caught up to you and even surpassed your weight. Your features have even become more refined, I can barely recognize you from your baby pictures.  You give mommy great smiles and cuddles.  You love rocking in the chair and singing with mommy. You are now the more vocal baby.  Fynn still cries louder and more often but you are the one who is starting to babble and make happy noises.  You are really working hard to learn to speak and you study mommy and daddy to see how they are doing it.  You are a serious eater and you don't get distracted.  You eat with purpose and get through a bottle fast.  We know when you aren't hungry because you just refuse to take the bottle.  You are a pleasure to be around and I love you to pieces. You love playing with toys and you still study your hands frequently.  You and your brother both suck on your hands now and you love to put stuff in your mouth.  You have just figures out how to hold a toy (although just for a few seconds) and you love to put Sophie the giraffe in your mouth.  I love you my boy and it is a pleasure being your mom.
Fynn has really found his smile and his tongue

Brothers, our version of tummy time because they hate it flat on the carpet

Squishy bums!

 Just hanging with their bestie
 I am such a big boy and I am so delicious and cute
 Hudson my sweet boy with a sweet smile
 Hudson thinking quit taking my picture this is getting old
 Who's 4 months old, this guy is!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Sleeping through the Night

Last night was a bit of a big deal.  One of my boys slept through the night.  We didn't know when it was going to happen or if it was going to happen but it did.  I know that doesn't mean it will happen every night but it means that it could happen.  Actually the boys have been on what I consider a great night sleep schedule.  They have been going to bed at 9pm (starting with a bath, bottle and a little rock in the chair at 8pm) and sleeping until 3am, then they were having a quick (20 mins) bottle and going back to sleep until around 6:30 am.  Trust me we have tried starting the routine earlier (5pm then 6pm  and even 7pm) and they just wouldn't settle. I know it wasn't sleeping through the night but it was just one wake up in the night and we were more than happy to take it.  Actually we would have been happy if it stayed that way for a long time.  Although we are even more pleased that last night one of our boys skipped the 3am wake up.  Of course I went in twice to make sure he was breathing but it was a victory just the same.  I actually slept a full  8 hours for the first time since they were born, hubby did the night feed with our other little guy. I hate to count my chickens before they hatch but I think these guys might be good sleepers.  They have been in their own cribs in their own room since week 3  (Fynn flaps his arms and babbles in his sleep so we couldn't have them in our room).  I have heard from many people that just because they sleep in their own room now doesn't mean they wont try to sneak in ours once they are older (always so many words of encouragment from other parents).  Oh well, I love to snuggle with them so whatever will be will be.  The boys even managed to brave two overnights.  We took them up to my in-laws cottage and they slept in their own individual pack'n' plays and we also visited the trailer (not my favorite place in the world on a good day and way too small for us to visit now).
Plus, we also had our first friends stay at our house since we had the boys.  Well, except for two different grandmas who came to help out the first couple of weeks.  This time it was my friend and her 9 month old son.  It wasn't as smooth as I had hoped and I don't think I would rush to do it again.  They were at very different stages and it was difficult for my friend.  Her son was anxious about being somewhere new and used to sleeping in silence.  Our house isn't very silent these days and I made the mistake of having my sister-in-law and nephew over which put my friend's son over the edge.  Lesson learned my friends. 
I have also had my first run in with pushy know it all parents.  It seems everyone who has children had the blessing of their children sleeping through the night immediately (I call bullshit).  They  love to tell me that I should have the boys sleeping by 5pm and for atleast 12 hours in a row. First of all they are premies which means they aren't even 3 months old if you are counting from their due dates and secondly I didn't ask. My girlfriend told me that one of my boys looked over-tired about three times during the visit and I should put him to bed (by the way she also said I couldn't let him cry for the first hour her son went down because he feels sympathy for crying babies and it is too emotional for him).  I checked with dr. Google and they can suck it because my boys are getting approx 15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour span and that is within the norm.  I notice that parents always have to blame their kids behaviour on something.  If the baby even wiggles "the wrong way" they say they are tired or hungry.  They are babies for heavens sake! Note to self, don't judge other peoples parenting.

"

 Brothers!
 This was one of my favorite moments since they were born, they were all smiles and kept looking at each other with big eyes and bigger smiles

 Hudson and mommy on a walk.  He was asleep after 2 mins
 Mommy and Fynn at Grandma and Grandpa's cottage
 Hanging by the pool at Papa and Grandma's house, Yes that is a birthmark on my arm (I have a post in my head addressing the million times a day I am stopped to be asked what is the mark on his arm).
 Hanging with our friend Beck who slept over at our place.

Our family, looking a bit like dorks, at the cottage

Monday, June 4, 2012

My kids are cute!

Okay, I am not much of a bragger but I love these kids and I went through a lot to get them so here I am bragging. They are so freakin adorable! Every time they smile at me my heart melts.  Plus, they are going through a rough patch the last 2 days where they have decided they don't want to sleep anymore, they just want to cry and eat. For that reason I need to focus on how cute they are. Otherwise hubby might pull up and find them on the front lawn after his 14 hour days.

 Fynn and his Panda friend
Hudson and his Polar Bear friend.  Ironically, the week after we had the boys they named the polar bear Hudson at our local zoo.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Keeping Track

Most of my friends and family have kept baby books for their children.  My sister even made some seriously amazing scrapbooks of the first couple of years with her son and first daughter.  I have done nothing so I am going to attempt to keep a record of some milestones and observations of my baby boys on my blog. I wish I could be more poetic while doing so but I am just not that skilled when it comes to writing.

Fynn
You are our little wild man.  You just don't stop moving, ever.  You kick your legs and flap your arms at all times.  Originally daddy and I wanted you to sleep with us in our room but we couldn't get any sleep because you were way too loud. You grunt and groan and run miles in your sleep. Overall you are a happy baby but you definitely tell us when you aren't happy.  You wake up from your sleep with a yelp and you have a hard time being patient while you wait for me to heat your bottle up.  You absolutely chug your bottle down and daddy and I try to encourage you to slow down.  Because of your vigorous style of eating you have the loudest burps I have ever heard a baby create.  You literally sound like a 40 year old beer guzzling man.  It makes me laugh every time and I know that you got that skill from your aunt. It amazes me that you never get sick. I am lucky between both you and your brother you have only thrown up about 3 times since you were born.  You love to eat and seem to eat almost double what your brother takes in.  It is no coincidence that you weigh  more than your perviously bigger brother because you seem to rarely be without bootle. You are now eating about 7 ounces per feeding and you eat two at your "dinner time" feeding.  As far as sleeping goes you are doing pretty well. You sleep shorter during the day and you often fight going to sleep but mommy is persistant.  You use to like the swing to have a nap in during the day but now you prefer being rocked in mommy's arms.  Mommy loves this but it can be hard when your brother also wants the same from mommy.  Daddy thinks mommy is spoiling you guys but secretly does the same when he thinks mommy isn't looking.   I hear lots of people say that their baby (ies) slept the entire night before 3 months but I am finding out quickly that everyone has a different idea of the entire night.   You seem to sleep from about 8:00 Pm -1:30 am, then you have a quick bottle and are back to sleep within 20 mins, you wake up again around 6:00 am and again you fall back asleep until around 9 am. In my head that isn't sleeping through the night but I will take it.  I seriously don't mind waking up with you and infact I look forward to our nightime interaction. You see, although you are still moving about in my arms, it is as relaxed and zen as I see you.  Your motions are a bit slower and you look into my eyes the entire time I feed you.  The feeling of those big blue eyes staring into mine is what I waited for all of those years. I love you with everything and I still cry when I am holding you in my arms because I can't believe I am so lucky to have a perfect, beautiful son like you. 
Both you and your brother love the car and it makes it so nice for mommy because you can go down to Grandma and Grandpas every Sunday and Wednesday.
You my little man are the most vocal baby I have ever been around.  You have a sound for everything and most of them are hilarious.  You grunt and squeak at every possible moment.  We are starting to get to know your noises but at times are confused about what they mean.
You are getting strong my dear boy and I am so proud of you.  When you were first born you were a little peanut of a boy.  At times I felt nervous holding you because you just felt so floppy in my arms and you were so wee.  Now you are hearty and round and even have quite the little buddah belly on you.You hate tummy time but are starting to get used to it.  Your control of your head is getting much better and you have been able to sit in the bumbo for a couple of weeks now and you even sat in the jolly jumper although you didn't quite know what to do.  You still have that pesky blocked tear duct and mommy is frustrated because nothing seems to help.  When you wake up in the morning your eye is literally glued together with gunk (eye boogers). It doesn't seem to bother you, you are a real trooper.  You are also pretty patient when mommy tries to pick them out with a wet face cloth.  You have the most beautiful blue eyes and mommy wants to see them clearly and doesn't want anything to stop you from seeing everything going on around you.   
You are my Fynn, Fynny, Fynious, Delph-finny, Fynny boy,  daddy and I love you so much. 




Hudson
You are our sweet boy.  You are calm almost all of the time and you seem to love life.  You are content to sit and investigate the world with your little furrowed brow. You love to smile and bat your eyelashes.  You melt every woman that holds you heart.  You are patient and often wait until your brother is settled to get you much deserved attention.  Daddy and I love playing with you and watching you take in the world around you.  This week you have really discovered your hands and you spend a lot of time staring at them and their movements. You are really playing now and love to hit the toys on your play mat.  You love to laugh even though no sounds come out. 
You seem to be getting a hold of this sleep thing and are pretty easy to put down.  You love cuddling with momma but you fall asleep relatively easily and you seem to have a pretty calm presence most of the time. Neither you or your brother sleep through the night but you are getting close. You have had some 6 and 7 hour sleeps and I know before long you will be sleeping the night away. When you wake up in the night for a feeding you seem to smile the entire time. You melt your dads heart and he can barely put you down to go back to sleep. Mommy has to remind him that you need your sleep or daddy would hang out with you all night long.  
You seem to like tummy time and are really pushing your head up and it looks like you will be crawling in no time.  You love pushing up on the breast feeding pillow and checking out your surrounding.
You my little friend have thinned out of the past couple of months.  We used to call you our bruiser or the big guy but that no longer suits you.  You are getting leaner and your face has really thinned out.  We send your grandparents pictures and they say you change daily.
You also seem to love music and singing.  Mommy sings to you all day long and you love it.  You smile and move your mouth like you wish you could join in.  You imitate the shapes mommy makes with her mouth and you and mommy even have your own singing games.  Mommy has discovered that when she sticks out her tongue you will stick yours out too. 
I love you my little Huddy Buddy, My Buddah Boy, my Bubbah Baby, my Buddah Buddy Boy!