xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Water Babies
Well - they're just over 7 months old now - it's been a while since my last post.
Needless to say...we're busy! But also - where the heck did time fly? I keep thinking that it was just August - like, September & October....GONE!?!
Leah & Paige wrapped up their swimming lessons just last week - they passed Aquatots-1, and we're so proud to say that they did not miss one single lesson! Ha, I remember the days of getting Peyton ready and off to her lessons...it seemed like such a big deal. Little did we know....
Paul & I (again) SINCERELY thank Rich for being the reliable (usually Paige) partner for the 9 classes. And also Erin, who stepped in the week of Paul's (minor) surgery.
The girls are sitting unassisted now - Leah started about a week and a half before Paige. This alone has made our lives a whole lot easier. They're quite happy to be sitting amongst a pile of toys and things to chew on. There are, however, little spats that occur on occasion, over a toy, typically. Leah, our gentle & sensitive angel, happens to be the more stong, aggressive toy stealer. But Paige is no pansy, she just moves on to something else. They've been reaching out to touch eachother too (or grab an ear, handful of hair...you get the idea.)
They continue to be very happy babies. They love company and are so responsive to kisses & cuddles - just the way babies should be.
Hallowe'en was fun this year. Peyton was a princess by day, and a rabbit by night. She had an absolute blast trick or treating. Paul & Rich started her off on the street, then Paul took her out to Erin's clinic, then out to his parents street. She woke up the next day asking to do it all over again! So we explained that it's done for a year, but CHRISTMAS is coming! Her response? "No Christmas. I don't like Christmas, I want Hallowe'en." Ha.
So I'm in the midst of figuring out what the heck we're going to do with these kiddies when I return to work - which isn't too far from now! A bit of a daunting task, but things seem to have a way of working themselves out, so not to stress, right!!??
Christmas shopping is also well underway - it's going to be such an exciting year. We're hosting my family for Christmas breakfast, then Paul's family will be here for dinner - busy, busy times. But thankfully, we wont be packing up and dragging the crew around. Really, that makes things so much easier (not to mention everyone will be napping in their OWN beds.)
Well...that's pretty much all I have time to add right now. I'll try to get a few more pics off, and will write more again soon.
xoxoxoxo
Friday, October 20, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
WE SURVIVED!
At least, I think we did. I'm writing this, right??
Leah Caitlyn & Paige Emily are 6 months old today!
And what an interesting 6 months we have had!
A very rough beginning - the first 8 weeks are a complete blur. No sleep, we were entirely in "survival" mode. Week 9 through about 12, the sleeping got better, but the evening "fussiness" was at it's worst. This was the time that we discovered the "Leah Scream"(tm.) Three months to now has been much better - Paul & I sort of got our lives, or a modified version of our lives back. And we really started to enjoy our new family. About mid-way through August, they started to get into a good daytime routine, which has made MY life about 1,000,000 times better.
Which brings us to present - 6 months. Wow! Our little darlings have passed a couple of milestones recently. 1) They moved to the BIG bathtub. In other words, we've retired the baby tub and have that little area of real estate back in our kitchen. And 2) We've sampled cereal! And it's a hit! Going on a week now, and it's SO FUNNY to see two completely different reactions.
Paige was initially put-off, but quickly came to enjoy it. She approaches eating like, well, like a cat, I guess. She sort of lifts her chin to the spoon and gently licks off the cereal. Hilarious.
Leah, well her first bite will be forever etched into my memory. I *think* she liked the taste, but wasn't too fond of the texture (which was VERY runny, by the way.) Every time we put a spoonful in her mouth, she dropper her jaw and just stared at us with confusion/disgust! Then she too figured out she LOVED it, and now she devours the cereal - bites the spoon and utters a little "uh" with each bite. As we did with Missy Peyton, we're taking it slow with solids, but at the same time, I can't say I'm not anxious for them to have their first taste of something a little less bland!
I wish I had the time to better express my feelings on just how exactly this past 1/2 year has been, but realistically, I HAVE TWINS and time is just a premium commodity these days!! But I'll sum it up like this:
These two little beings have changed me - personally - in ways that I could never have imagined. I've stepped away from the life I knew six months ago in so many ways - physically, emotionally, spiritually. They've taught me about what's truly important in life - to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak. My marriage - only 3.5 years in - is so very strong! Paul & I have eased into (or were thrust into) our roles as parents of three small children and we've handled it with strength we didn't know we had! I know that probably sounds pretty dramatic, but unless you've been here - toddler + twin infants - I don't believe you can really understand. Appreciate, maybe, but not understand.
But we're happy - living a life beyond our wildest dreams. TWINS! Like, what did we do to deserve that?? (read that in a positive tone, of course!) Who decided we had what it takes to do this?? :) We speculate...all the time...about what they will be like. In one year. In 5 years. As teenagers! And we're excited about the possibilities, challenges and opportunities with all THREE girls.
Before I sign off, I just want to (again) sincerely thank all the people who've stepped in and helped us since March ...
My mom - of course - who has done literally so much for us, that I cannot take the time to list it all. From the daily support (through to August) to the help "maintaining the household" to (and most importantly) the stern discussions reminding me that Peyton is just a baby herself...she has been an absolute Godsend. I only hope to be able to do for my daughters what she's done for us.
Paul's parents - who are there for us for whatever we need. And for (most importantly) keeping up the 2 mornings a week schedule with Peyton - this time spent will surely be fondly remembered as she grows up.
Rich - who has a standing date for the rest of his life - Thursday nights with "his girls." Oh, and who has also kept me from doing that dreaded task of shopping for a bathing suit - ie, he's got a babe covered in Aquatots.
Dave & Jeff - who spent many a late evening here in the early days. Who'd have thought that when a couple of guys get together to watch hockey & drink beer, they'd be happy to take care of the last evening feed AND walk the fussy baby?? And of course, Kerry - who's afternoon visits enabled me to catch some desperately needed zzzzzz's.
The Chaterjees - particularly Jenna, who is pretty much Peyton's best friend - running her around outside and burning off some of that energy makes everyone happy!! Laurie, the (Italian) mother who CANNOT cook for JUST her 4 person family and frequently called to say "I just happened to make too muchso Jenna's running it over" Oh, and the wonderful clothing, sports and toys hand-me-downs.
Our core group of friends - Tanya, Rich, De, Chantal & Colin - who are probably sick of the "Let's get together - come to OUR house" routine. Really, by accomodating our situation as often as you do, you keep us feeling human - like we can still have a life after 9PM.
Oh, there are so many people who I am leaving out - which is why I shouldn't be writing this at 11:30 PM - but for all of you who have stopped by to help out with a feed or dropped off a wonderful meal...Thank-you. You've all made a difference.
Our terrific girls:
And...another montage. Have you got 8 minutes to spare?? Sorry if the music puts you to sleep....
Leah Caitlyn & Paige Emily are 6 months old today!
And what an interesting 6 months we have had!
A very rough beginning - the first 8 weeks are a complete blur. No sleep, we were entirely in "survival" mode. Week 9 through about 12, the sleeping got better, but the evening "fussiness" was at it's worst. This was the time that we discovered the "Leah Scream"(tm.) Three months to now has been much better - Paul & I sort of got our lives, or a modified version of our lives back. And we really started to enjoy our new family. About mid-way through August, they started to get into a good daytime routine, which has made MY life about 1,000,000 times better.
Which brings us to present - 6 months. Wow! Our little darlings have passed a couple of milestones recently. 1) They moved to the BIG bathtub. In other words, we've retired the baby tub and have that little area of real estate back in our kitchen. And 2) We've sampled cereal! And it's a hit! Going on a week now, and it's SO FUNNY to see two completely different reactions.
Paige was initially put-off, but quickly came to enjoy it. She approaches eating like, well, like a cat, I guess. She sort of lifts her chin to the spoon and gently licks off the cereal. Hilarious.
Leah, well her first bite will be forever etched into my memory. I *think* she liked the taste, but wasn't too fond of the texture (which was VERY runny, by the way.) Every time we put a spoonful in her mouth, she dropper her jaw and just stared at us with confusion/disgust! Then she too figured out she LOVED it, and now she devours the cereal - bites the spoon and utters a little "uh" with each bite. As we did with Missy Peyton, we're taking it slow with solids, but at the same time, I can't say I'm not anxious for them to have their first taste of something a little less bland!
I wish I had the time to better express my feelings on just how exactly this past 1/2 year has been, but realistically, I HAVE TWINS and time is just a premium commodity these days!! But I'll sum it up like this:
These two little beings have changed me - personally - in ways that I could never have imagined. I've stepped away from the life I knew six months ago in so many ways - physically, emotionally, spiritually. They've taught me about what's truly important in life - to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak. My marriage - only 3.5 years in - is so very strong! Paul & I have eased into (or were thrust into) our roles as parents of three small children and we've handled it with strength we didn't know we had! I know that probably sounds pretty dramatic, but unless you've been here - toddler + twin infants - I don't believe you can really understand. Appreciate, maybe, but not understand.
But we're happy - living a life beyond our wildest dreams. TWINS! Like, what did we do to deserve that?? (read that in a positive tone, of course!) Who decided we had what it takes to do this?? :) We speculate...all the time...about what they will be like. In one year. In 5 years. As teenagers! And we're excited about the possibilities, challenges and opportunities with all THREE girls.
Before I sign off, I just want to (again) sincerely thank all the people who've stepped in and helped us since March ...
My mom - of course - who has done literally so much for us, that I cannot take the time to list it all. From the daily support (through to August) to the help "maintaining the household" to (and most importantly) the stern discussions reminding me that Peyton is just a baby herself...she has been an absolute Godsend. I only hope to be able to do for my daughters what she's done for us.
Paul's parents - who are there for us for whatever we need. And for (most importantly) keeping up the 2 mornings a week schedule with Peyton - this time spent will surely be fondly remembered as she grows up.
Rich - who has a standing date for the rest of his life - Thursday nights with "his girls." Oh, and who has also kept me from doing that dreaded task of shopping for a bathing suit - ie, he's got a babe covered in Aquatots.
Dave & Jeff - who spent many a late evening here in the early days. Who'd have thought that when a couple of guys get together to watch hockey & drink beer, they'd be happy to take care of the last evening feed AND walk the fussy baby?? And of course, Kerry - who's afternoon visits enabled me to catch some desperately needed zzzzzz's.
The Chaterjees - particularly Jenna, who is pretty much Peyton's best friend - running her around outside and burning off some of that energy makes everyone happy!! Laurie, the (Italian) mother who CANNOT cook for JUST her 4 person family and frequently called to say "I just happened to make too much
Our core group of friends - Tanya, Rich, De, Chantal & Colin - who are probably sick of the "Let's get together - come to OUR house" routine. Really, by accomodating our situation as often as you do, you keep us feeling human - like we can still have a life after 9PM.
Oh, there are so many people who I am leaving out - which is why I shouldn't be writing this at 11:30 PM - but for all of you who have stopped by to help out with a feed or dropped off a wonderful meal...Thank-you. You've all made a difference.
Our terrific girls:
And...another montage. Have you got 8 minutes to spare?? Sorry if the music puts you to sleep....
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Twins on Swings
Paul's parents recently discovered this great park just a short drive away - it has a massive castle, and a big pirate ship, and lots of other little things...and swings.
So we decided to take the clan (PLUS Jenna, our wonderful helper) to check it out this afternoon. Well, it was a hit, and I am not so sure we'll be able to go to any "normal" park again!! Unfortunately, mommy wont be able to take the three on my own while daddy's at work, because, well, it's that big!
Swimming lesson #2 this morning, followed by a bottle and bath, and they slept the afternoon away. Then we headed out at about 4PM for an hour and a half, only to return to a small gathering on Laurie's (neighbour) driveway...which turned into a bbq for a few neighbours. Paul just helped me get the girls settled for the night, and he's back out for a few more drinks, while I'm settling in for an evening with a bottle of Mudslide...ah, nice relaxing Saturday night :)
Anyway, some recent photos...
SPOT THE BABIES
PAIGE (sort of) SITTING UP ON HER OWN: NOT QUITE A TRI-POD, QUAD-POD??
LEAH, LOVING THE SWING
PAIGE, NOT SO SURE...
JENNA and GIRLIES
LEAH, TRYING OUT THE HIGHCHAIR (Solids in two weeks!)
And, OUR GIRL who's gonna KNOCK 'EM DEAD
God we love our girls :) :) :) What good times they'll give us.
So we decided to take the clan (PLUS Jenna, our wonderful helper) to check it out this afternoon. Well, it was a hit, and I am not so sure we'll be able to go to any "normal" park again!! Unfortunately, mommy wont be able to take the three on my own while daddy's at work, because, well, it's that big!
Swimming lesson #2 this morning, followed by a bottle and bath, and they slept the afternoon away. Then we headed out at about 4PM for an hour and a half, only to return to a small gathering on Laurie's (neighbour) driveway...which turned into a bbq for a few neighbours. Paul just helped me get the girls settled for the night, and he's back out for a few more drinks, while I'm settling in for an evening with a bottle of Mudslide...ah, nice relaxing Saturday night :)
Anyway, some recent photos...
SPOT THE BABIES
PAIGE (sort of) SITTING UP ON HER OWN: NOT QUITE A TRI-POD, QUAD-POD??
LEAH, LOVING THE SWING
PAIGE, NOT SO SURE...
JENNA and GIRLIES
LEAH, TRYING OUT THE HIGHCHAIR (Solids in two weeks!)
And, OUR GIRL who's gonna KNOCK 'EM DEADGod we love our girls :) :) :) What good times they'll give us.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
ahhhh...Holidays :)
So we're into week 2 of Paul's holidays (which means, of course, I am on holidays too.)
MAN, could I get used to this!
We have a list of a pile of things we intended to get done, but for some reason, not much is being knocked off!
Loads and loads of QT with the kids is at the top of the list, and of course, that's happening!
Paul & I took Peyton & Tristan (along with our good friends and neighbours - Laurie, Jenna & Mitchell) to La Ronde in Montreal on Friday - what a HOOT! Peyton loved the rides and I think she'll easily become her daddy's ride partner (when she gets a little taller, anyway.) In the meantime, Oh-My-Gosh, did Tristan & Jenna keep up! And even Mitchell did his first adult roller coaster ride (with his mom TURNING her back as she couldn't watch - "They did not sit *MY* BABY on the end, oh no they didn't" said Laurie!) Tristan is JUST at that height requirement to be allowed on all the adult rides, and she didn't say no to ANYTHING!
Here's a blurry pic of them coming in from one roller coaster...
All in all, it was a fantastic day - the kids beamed with excitement, and little Miss THANG was great. The twins stayed home with Paul's parents and my mom splitting shifts - and honestly, we barely paid them a thought. Is that bad?? NAH! They were in great hands!! :)
Paul's been doing a few "around the house" stuff - painting the girl's bathroom, repainting ours (I like the color now, sweetie!!) We plan to go to Papanack Zoo tomorrow - and take the twins along, so we'll see how that goes.
Sunday was a way busy day for us - we had Paul's highschool buddies + spouses and kids over for a playdate & lunch in the afternoon, then we hosted a dinner for some visiting relatives of mine.
In town was my cousin Karen from Thunder Bay, along with husband Joe and OH-MY-GOSH 23 year old Alana (where the hell does time go!?!) Alana's recently started her nursing career at the QC hospital, and her parents came down to check out her new digs. It was so great to see Karen again - I have such wonderful & fond memories of spending many Christmases at my aunt Glenna's house in North Bay - sigh. My mom made a feast of a meal, and Deb's family was out to enjoy the company too. A quick game of Poker, and I believe it was Joe & Mom who came out first & second (though I don't know which order.) Fun, fun times. And no, we DON'T play poker ALL the time!!
Oh! In other news, I'm thrilled to report that Christi & Matthew had a baby GIRL on Saturday!! Welcome to her second born, Valerie!!! Remember Christi? From my wedding??
Here she is....
We're so happy for you Christi - only wish you were closer :(
Matt & Christi moved to Northern BC almost 3 years ago, shortly after Vivian was born. Pics of the latest arrival, Valerie (or V2!) can be found on Christi's blog...
http://woodyaya4.spaces.live.com/ - wow, she's a big, healthy babe!
Well, Leah & Paige are doing very well, growing by the day. We're getting lots of belly laughs and flirting - you know, all the great things! They just turned 5 months old, and MY GOD! What a WONDERFUL AGE! I can seriously say that I barely recall those first few weeks of, well, mayhem! Almost ready to do it again! Not!
OK - signing off with a video recorded just a few minutes ago -
disclaimer - no baby/child was disturbed during the recording of this video
(now why would I want to do that??)
I LOVE BEDTIME!
Have a(nother) great LONG WEEKEND, everyone! Time to put away those white shoes!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Rugrat Update
Hi everyone!
Well, needless to say, the girlies have been keeping us busy - I honestly don't know where time flies, but I can see that it's been a few weeks since my last update, so thought I'd pop in tonight to write a bit.
The girls, of course, are great. 4.5 months now, and growing so quickly!
Leah is showing signs of becoming a somewhat sensitive baby - she's "making strange" to a few people and taking comfort in the arms of people she's familiar with. We're NOT used to that at all, because Peyton was so easy going. I never thought this would surface with the twins, since they've been handled by about a billion people since birth. But not the case. Her evenings have been a little rough this week too....we think she's just getting overtired and overstimulated, and the only way to tell us that she's Had Enough is to scream at the top of her lungs for about an hour. So we oblige :) But it's been a great week, weather wise, to have our windows opened...so I can't help but wonder if our neighbours think we're killing her!
Physically, Leah's just getting so big! She's actually in a size 9 month sleeper right now, which is WILD! She's VERY long...we call her Leah Long Legs. Suspect she'll be quite tall. She's still quite bald, but a fuzz of dark hair is coming in. Still blue eyed, but her eyes are quite dark, and I figure she'll have my brown eyes when all is said and done. She's got dainty, soft features, with the eyes of an "old soul."
Paige on the other hand is just plain pudgy! Well, in the face, anyways. As Leah gets longer, Paige gets rounder :) She lost most of her hair after birth, but it's growing in quite fast now - she's got quite a bit. Her eyes are still blue too, and I think they'll stay that way - or maybe go green, as Peyton's have. Her eyeballs are huge, to the point where you barely see the lid above and below them.
Paige is very easy going, doesn't complain much - but also Does.Not.Nap! I don't understand this kid - she can be awake at 7:00 AM, grab about 30-45 mins of shuteye around 10:30, then be wide awake until, like 2PM when she grabs another catnap. I don't get it?! How can she possibly be awake that long?? It absolutely baffles me. Overnight, she will sleep - but very lightly. She'll sleep well until about 3AM - then she "stirs" at least once an hour through 7AM(ish) when we get up. So Paul and I respond and just plug her with the soother....which buys us that extra few hours. Still, the interruption to sleep isn't fun. But I guess I can't complain - three kids who pretty much sleep through the night makes us...well...incredibly lucky. Not to mention, they're all typically down by 9-9:30, which leaves plenty of time for Paul & I to do something NON-baby before going to bed.
So my days are spent entertaining and playing, for the most part. Wake around 7 with Paige - Peyton usually comes down around 7:30-8:00 and Leah I'll typically get up after taking care of Paige's feeding. At times, all three will awake together and let me tell ya, that's a challenge! Peyton is pretty much toilet trained, but I've got to get to her pretty quick when she wakes up dry, or else she wont stay that way - and then with two hungry infants...well, you get the picture! Paul is usually around for that first feeding, but he's had a very busy three weeks at work, so he's been leaving before everyone stirs in the morning. So once the babes are fed, I make breakfast for Peyton & I. My mom still stops by - she'll come somewhere between 8:30 & 9:00, and then I'll take 20-30 minutes to myself (to shower and dress.) She will usually bathe the twins during this time - she LOVES doing that - then once I am done, and weather permitting, we'll often take a stroll. Or she'll take Peyton out for a while - something, to break the day. She leaves usually right around Peyton's lunch, then Peyton has her 2-3 hour nap, and I can SOMETIMES get a bit of time to myself. The babes will snooze in their bouncy chairs or on the floor...I keep DESPERATELY trying to get them to sleep in their cribs during the day, but I'm not all too successful - often, like 1/2 the time, I can get ONE to sleep soundlessly away in her crib, but NEVER both. So if they snooze in the family room, I'll find something to do somewhere else in the house, or I'll pick my weeds, or something. When they are awake, I just play with and stimulate them - either in the family room, or sometimes in the playroom. They're becoming a lot more responsive to their toys - grabbing, sucking, biting and cooing at them. And I continue to read a lot to Peyton (she loves the Little Critter books, right now) and the babes will listen intently as I read - and sometimes it seems they take an interest in looking at the pics along with us too.
So I've noticed them looking at each other a lot lately - I guess they're sort of figuring themselves out. Not sure there's a tight bond or anything yet - I haven't seen evidence of that. But I can tell you this - when one poops, you can be sure the other will in the next few minutes. They're digestive systems seem to be in-synch! They're both still quite "pukey" - I wonder when we'll see a day without a spit up. They are still getting a couple of outfit changes a day, unfortunately.
Peyton, well, she just LOVES her sisters. Seriously. Just very recently, she's been asking to hold them, or she wants to hold their bottle while they're being fed. But I'm noticing a bit of mothering in her too - just today, I was feeing Paige while Leah was wailing away on her playmat on the floor. Peyton was absent-mindedly watching Dora, but she got off the sofa and went and sat beside Leah on the floor and started dangling a toy over her head - all the while never taking her eyes offf the TV, of course! Leah stopped crying, she was happy to have the little bit of attention, and Peyton just seemed to somehow know that. Weird.
Peyton's going through a big imagination stage right now. She'll come over and hand something to you, and you'll have no idea what it is (because your hands are EMPTY) but then she'll ask you if you like your cookie. Aha! I get it now!! I brought her to a clinic earlier this week (NASTY YUCKY reaction to mosquito bites on her face) and I brought a bunch of books with us for the waiting room - she was "pulling "things from the stories and using them in real life. For example, in the book "the Dark" the daddy wears glasses. She thought I could use them, so she (pretended to) pull them out of the book, and put them on my face. Crazy imagination! It's so wonderful to see the little mind develop!
I think I've finally convinced her that her name is Peyton, and not Taten, as she's been calling herself, like FOREVER.
We started doing some crafty things this week (painting rocks) and with Michaels JUST opening up down the road, I imagine there will be a lot more of this in our future. She loves being creative. Or just making a mess. Who cares, the output is something to cherish, for sure :)
Anyway - that's the update for now - as always, everything is going great. They (all three) keep us busy & hopping, but the rewards of having three little girls are unbelievable...
Onto the pictures!
Peyton with Leah
Peyton feeding Paige
Leah's on the left.
Leah enjoying a bath
Paige in the exersaucer. Yup, that's pink-eye you see :(
Well, needless to say, the girlies have been keeping us busy - I honestly don't know where time flies, but I can see that it's been a few weeks since my last update, so thought I'd pop in tonight to write a bit.
The girls, of course, are great. 4.5 months now, and growing so quickly!
Leah is showing signs of becoming a somewhat sensitive baby - she's "making strange" to a few people and taking comfort in the arms of people she's familiar with. We're NOT used to that at all, because Peyton was so easy going. I never thought this would surface with the twins, since they've been handled by about a billion people since birth. But not the case. Her evenings have been a little rough this week too....we think she's just getting overtired and overstimulated, and the only way to tell us that she's Had Enough is to scream at the top of her lungs for about an hour. So we oblige :) But it's been a great week, weather wise, to have our windows opened...so I can't help but wonder if our neighbours think we're killing her!
Physically, Leah's just getting so big! She's actually in a size 9 month sleeper right now, which is WILD! She's VERY long...we call her Leah Long Legs. Suspect she'll be quite tall. She's still quite bald, but a fuzz of dark hair is coming in. Still blue eyed, but her eyes are quite dark, and I figure she'll have my brown eyes when all is said and done. She's got dainty, soft features, with the eyes of an "old soul."
Paige on the other hand is just plain pudgy! Well, in the face, anyways. As Leah gets longer, Paige gets rounder :) She lost most of her hair after birth, but it's growing in quite fast now - she's got quite a bit. Her eyes are still blue too, and I think they'll stay that way - or maybe go green, as Peyton's have. Her eyeballs are huge, to the point where you barely see the lid above and below them.
Paige is very easy going, doesn't complain much - but also Does.Not.Nap! I don't understand this kid - she can be awake at 7:00 AM, grab about 30-45 mins of shuteye around 10:30, then be wide awake until, like 2PM when she grabs another catnap. I don't get it?! How can she possibly be awake that long?? It absolutely baffles me. Overnight, she will sleep - but very lightly. She'll sleep well until about 3AM - then she "stirs" at least once an hour through 7AM(ish) when we get up. So Paul and I respond and just plug her with the soother....which buys us that extra few hours. Still, the interruption to sleep isn't fun. But I guess I can't complain - three kids who pretty much sleep through the night makes us...well...incredibly lucky. Not to mention, they're all typically down by 9-9:30, which leaves plenty of time for Paul & I to do something NON-baby before going to bed.
So my days are spent entertaining and playing, for the most part. Wake around 7 with Paige - Peyton usually comes down around 7:30-8:00 and Leah I'll typically get up after taking care of Paige's feeding. At times, all three will awake together and let me tell ya, that's a challenge! Peyton is pretty much toilet trained, but I've got to get to her pretty quick when she wakes up dry, or else she wont stay that way - and then with two hungry infants...well, you get the picture! Paul is usually around for that first feeding, but he's had a very busy three weeks at work, so he's been leaving before everyone stirs in the morning. So once the babes are fed, I make breakfast for Peyton & I. My mom still stops by - she'll come somewhere between 8:30 & 9:00, and then I'll take 20-30 minutes to myself (to shower and dress.) She will usually bathe the twins during this time - she LOVES doing that - then once I am done, and weather permitting, we'll often take a stroll. Or she'll take Peyton out for a while - something, to break the day. She leaves usually right around Peyton's lunch, then Peyton has her 2-3 hour nap, and I can SOMETIMES get a bit of time to myself. The babes will snooze in their bouncy chairs or on the floor...I keep DESPERATELY trying to get them to sleep in their cribs during the day, but I'm not all too successful - often, like 1/2 the time, I can get ONE to sleep soundlessly away in her crib, but NEVER both. So if they snooze in the family room, I'll find something to do somewhere else in the house, or I'll pick my weeds, or something. When they are awake, I just play with and stimulate them - either in the family room, or sometimes in the playroom. They're becoming a lot more responsive to their toys - grabbing, sucking, biting and cooing at them. And I continue to read a lot to Peyton (she loves the Little Critter books, right now) and the babes will listen intently as I read - and sometimes it seems they take an interest in looking at the pics along with us too.
So I've noticed them looking at each other a lot lately - I guess they're sort of figuring themselves out. Not sure there's a tight bond or anything yet - I haven't seen evidence of that. But I can tell you this - when one poops, you can be sure the other will in the next few minutes. They're digestive systems seem to be in-synch! They're both still quite "pukey" - I wonder when we'll see a day without a spit up. They are still getting a couple of outfit changes a day, unfortunately.
Peyton, well, she just LOVES her sisters. Seriously. Just very recently, she's been asking to hold them, or she wants to hold their bottle while they're being fed. But I'm noticing a bit of mothering in her too - just today, I was feeing Paige while Leah was wailing away on her playmat on the floor. Peyton was absent-mindedly watching Dora, but she got off the sofa and went and sat beside Leah on the floor and started dangling a toy over her head - all the while never taking her eyes offf the TV, of course! Leah stopped crying, she was happy to have the little bit of attention, and Peyton just seemed to somehow know that. Weird.
Peyton's going through a big imagination stage right now. She'll come over and hand something to you, and you'll have no idea what it is (because your hands are EMPTY) but then she'll ask you if you like your cookie. Aha! I get it now!! I brought her to a clinic earlier this week (NASTY YUCKY reaction to mosquito bites on her face) and I brought a bunch of books with us for the waiting room - she was "pulling "things from the stories and using them in real life. For example, in the book "the Dark" the daddy wears glasses. She thought I could use them, so she (pretended to) pull them out of the book, and put them on my face. Crazy imagination! It's so wonderful to see the little mind develop!
I think I've finally convinced her that her name is Peyton, and not Taten, as she's been calling herself, like FOREVER.
We started doing some crafty things this week (painting rocks) and with Michaels JUST opening up down the road, I imagine there will be a lot more of this in our future. She loves being creative. Or just making a mess. Who cares, the output is something to cherish, for sure :)
Anyway - that's the update for now - as always, everything is going great. They (all three) keep us busy & hopping, but the rewards of having three little girls are unbelievable...
Onto the pictures!
Peyton with Leah
Peyton feeding Paige
Leah's on the left.
Leah enjoying a bath
Paige in the exersaucer. Yup, that's pink-eye you see :(
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