Five Months (tomorrow)

I have said the same thing every month, "Time is going by too fast" but it is so true. I feel like I blinked and now my little guys are 5 months old tomorrow. I love my boys more each day and the four months old stage was so fun! I feel like the boys reached so many great milestones this month,  they are real little people now. They smile a lot and seem to be loving life.  They are happy boys who love to play and move.  They are rolling machines and are constantly wiggling and giggling.

Fynn
You are still my man in motion. You wiggle and squirm and once when mommy forgot to strap you into your bouncy chair and you almost ended up on the floor.  This taught mommy a lesson to never ever put you anywhere that you aren't safe and secure.  Your favourite place to squirm and move is in the bath tub.  Daddy says we must have had some sort of intuition to name you Fynn because you love bath time.  You smile, kick your legs, and "talk" throughout your entire bath.  We love bath-time because it is when you are most vocal (with exception of your daytime fussing).  Actually you have just started whining a lot during the day and it is a good thing you are so cute because it isn't the nicest thing to hear all day.  We are hoping this is a temporary phase but we'll keep you either way....lol.  I am happy to say that you have slept through the night a couple of times this month which was a great surprise.  Generally you are getting up for an early morning feed around 3am but you go right back to sleep so it is no big deal. 
The biggest milestones this month are that you are rolling and eating like a maniac.  You went from rolling twice ever to rolling all of the time in one day.  You literally roll from one side of the room to the other.  You have NO fear and it makes mommy kind of nervous.  You are able to roll both ways but for some reason you like to cry when you roll onto your tummy.  It is almost as if you weren't the one who made the decision to roll. I wonder if you haven't really connected the movement to the outcome.  The hardest thing is you have started to roll over in your crib.  You do this at all times of the night and day and you are never really happy with where you end up.  It has made bedtime a bit harder and nap time almost impossible (thank goodness for the swing). As for eating you are an eating machine. You love your food and you took to it right away.  So far you only eat rice cereal and sweet potato but I have a feeling you will like most foods.  You watch mommy eat and mimic me chewing.  We have also had to increase your formula intake at your feedings from 6 ounces to 7.  You are growing quickly and I guess that just means you need more fuel. 
We are still visiting grandma and grandpa's house every week but you don't seem to want to nap there.  I guess it is all of the excitement and attention but unless you are in your swing you can't settle down to a nap.  We have even taken you swimming a couple of times at grandma and grampa's house.  You seemed a bit shocked so we only stayed in the water for a very short time. Mommy was worried you were getting cold even though the water was 85 and it was over 90 outside.
It certainly has been a busy and successful month and I am excited to see what month 5 brings. 
I love you my Finicky Fynn, Findingler, Fynny Boy, Rin Tin Fynny.

Hudson
You are still my chilled little bubbah with your adorable grin.  You are relaxed and calm and generally a pretty easy baby. You are starting to talk more, especially in the morning on the change table and during bath time.  You have just started really laughing and it cracks me up everytime. Your laugh is kind of a snort and I can't get enough of it.  You are still our sleeper and you now consistently sleep "through the night", whatever that means.  You go to bed at 8pm and wake up between 6am and 8am.  You are definitely are easier to put down than your brother but you still fuss and fight your sleep at naptime.
This month you learned to roll and you too love to practice your rolling at bedtime.  You get frustrated when you can't get back on your back but once you are asleep you are a sound sleeper.  This is a good thing because you sleep right through your brother's late night/early morning bottle. 
You are our little hot box and you get sweaty very easily. Mommy hates putting you in your car seat because your back is drenched by the time we get anywhere.  Although you love visiting people and you give the best smiles to anyone and everyone.  You also seem to like grandma and grandpas pool, probably because it cools you down.
This month you had your first ear infection and mommy felt so badly for you.  We knew something was wrong when you were fussy for an entire day.  Luckily mommy was taking Fynny to get some cream for his skin because the doctor put you on antibiotics right away.  Within 2 days you were back to your happy self. 
I love you my huddy buddy, my little boy blue, my hubba bubba!

Watch what you wish for......lol

Well the past 48 hours have been a real learning experience for me.  It actually reminds me of when I met my husband.  What I mean is that life can change so quickly so don't get discouraged or feel down if things aren't going your way. I didn't meet my husband until I was 32 years old and I had figured I wouldn't get married.  Then within just over a year, I met my husband became engaged and got married. It was totally unexpected and wonderful all at the same time. 
I guess this is a big build up for a little event but it is representative of how I was feeling.  I used to think I was a super relaxed person but that soon changed after I had the boys.  Actually I would say it changed as soon as I figured out I was infertile.  It is hard to be relaxed when you have to be your own advocate and when your dealing with such a huge obstacle. Anyways, my point is I worry now way too much.  As I mentioned before in my previous post I have been comparing the boys to other babies and I don't want to be that person.
Case and point, I was worried about them not rolling over in my last post and then literally since that day they haven't stopped rolling.  They roll everywhere and all of the time. They roll from their tummy to their back and then back onto their tummy.  They are rolling machines! Not only do they roll once but they travel from one side of the room to the other while rolling.  Mommy is in trouble because she needs to up her game.  I used to be able to leave them on the couch for a second to grab a bottle from the fridge (yes I said bottle, my milk is no longer) without worrying.  That will never happen again. I will have to be super careful because we don't want to have an accident.
The reason I titled this post "Watch what you wish for" is because the boys also roll in their cribs.  This is less amusing and more frustrating.  Not only for me but especially for the boys.  They roll onto their tummies when I put them to bed and then they fuss because they want to be on their backs.  However this is the part that confuses me, they know how to roll back but don't yet when I place them onto their backs they immediatly roll over onto their stomachs and cry again.  I am soooo confused.  By the way is it still dangerous for them to stay on their stomachs because this morning when they woke up Hudson was on his side and Fynn was on his stomach? Also is there anything that I can do to stop them from rolling?  and finally am I allowed to put the bumper pads back in their cribs (because they are rolling now I often find one of their limbs through the bars in their crib)?
I just feel so silly for worrying and I am going to check myself before I do it again.  Life isn't a race  and I love these boys no matter how fast or slow they develop.

Trying not to feed into it all

Do all mothers compare their children to other children? Do you wonder if your kids are meeting the proper milestones?
  I haven't really felt it (although they are only 4 months old) until very recently.  I have been given a couple of exersaucers and splurged and bought a very cheap ($20) jumperoo on Kijiji.  The box says that these are for kids 4 months and up and who have head control.  I thought my boys had pretty good head control so I went ahead and put them in to test it out.  It wasn't as successful as I hoped and then I started worry. You see my boys are actually 4.5 months (haha...............as I write this I realize how ridiculous I sound) and they are so tiny in the seats.  They don't touch the ground in the jumperoo and I had to stuff a towel behind them so that they didn't tip forward or backwards.  So I did a little google research and read posts from women who had their babies in these devises as early as 3 months.  Then I started to worry, okay just mildly but really what is the big deal.  Geez, months ago I just wanted a healthy baby, a year ago I just wanted to be pregnant, and four years ago I just wanted a fighting chance at getting pregnant.  Now all of a sudden I want super babies.  Anyways, let's not even talk about the Jolly Jumper that they tip over in (although their head stays upright but what does that help).  Hubby laughs at me and says they are just fine and tells me to remember that they were 5 weeks early so they are actually aren't even 4 months. 
I am making a promise to myself that I will no longer compare my children.  Although one more admission, when I see babies sitting unassisted on other blogs I always check to see how old they are because my guys don't sit up yet.  Trust me it isn't a competition and even if my guys do everything way behind everyone else, I love them to bits and wouldn't change them for the world.  I just worry for them.  This is the most ridiculous post ever but I had to get it out there because I feel like I am keeping a dirty little secret.
P.S Hubby says parents lie about all kinds of milestones.  He says that people who report having awesome sleepers who never wake up ever in the night are full of B.S.  I like his way of thinking, it makes me feel better.

 Sweet faced Hudson relaxing with Bunny

 Fynn borrowing bunny

 Fynn rocking in his chair, yep it's July and he is in a diaper and knit hat (don't worry it was only for the picture.  I just wanted to see if it still fit.  He has such a serious face because he is concentrating on the rocking of the chair.

 Hudson isn't sure if he likes his rice cereal

 Fynn is an eating machine and finished his bowl and his brother's. This was before he was covered from head to toe.

 Hudson, posing for the ladies

 Fynn with the most kissable lips I have ever seen!

 Hudson leaning all the way forward in his jumperoo.  He actually lasted about 10 minutes before he decided it wasn't for him, yet.

A serious face after his bath. That is one deadly shark.....lol!

Happy Canada Day!

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

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!

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.

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 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