March update

So my intention of updating this once a week has fallen by the wayside. The boys are now 6 months old and able to roll both ways and are working on sitting up. They can do it pretty well and then they fall over.

The boys were dedicated at church on Sat March 13. We had a big BBQ and then went to church. The boys did great and looked super cute in their coordinating outfits. It was great to see our friends and family and know that they support us in raising the boys as Christians. My mom was here for a week so I enjoyed some time out by myself while she watched the boys, so nice. Advice: live close to relatives who like to babysit because you will save a ton of money.

I also went on the Women's retreat put on by our church a couple of weeks ago. After doing lots of pumping for a month, I had enough milk to feed the boys while I was gone. Ryan and his mom were home with the kids. I think I missed them more than they missed me. All I could think of on the way home was I need to nurse, pumping just isn't the same. It was great weekend away and I did learn a few things. One thing that stuck out to me was that I need to be content in the life that I am living. I see others getting to travel or doing things in their lives and get jealous that I am stuck at home, but when I think about it there is no other place I would rather be than at home with the best boys ever. They are such a blessing and Ryan and I both agree that they are the best boys ever because they are ours.

This past week...

Time goes so fast, I can't believe the boys are going to be six months next week. The boys are getting so big, they have almost mastered the art of rolling from back to front, but most the time they only go halfway and then roll back. They are so cute.

Jonah and Wesley are really getting the hang of eating, though half the stuff still ends up on the bib or tray most the time compliments of me. They have now tried peas, carrots, brocoli, green beans, and zucchini. Their least favorite is green beans, Wesley makes the funniest face and almost started crying each time I tried to give him a bite.

I went out with some girlfriends on Sunday and so Ryan had to do bedtime by himself. It went pretty well, the highlight of the night for the boys was getting their bottles in the bathtub. They did not like the fact that Ryan tried to rock with them as it ended in a big crying fit. I wasn't there but it makes me laugh as they got so indignant because there was not feeding to go with the rocking.

They are the best boys ever and definitley make my world go around. I am sure most parents think their kids are the best but I have to let you know that mine are definitely the best.

Carrots: Yes! Peas: No!

Having some fun during tummy time. Wesley and Jonah are now rolling over.


These are the after pictures from lunch today. Jonah and Wesley are good at getting dirty.


So we are on our third day of trying new vegetables with the boys. It has been interesting to see who gets the messiest, me or the boys. Jonah definitely did not like peas, they went in and came straight back out. I wonder how much he is eating half the time because he sticks his tongue out after almost every bite.

We tried carrots this afternoon at lunch and they both seemed to like them. They did not make the same gagging noises or spit them out as quickly. I know that we are now feeding the boys solids as I seem to find little pieces of food in different areas. I was just folding laundry and found a piece of carrot in the sheets, I have no idea how that got there. I seem to get just as messy as I find pieces of food on me and my hands all the time. I decided to dress the boys in shorts sleeves if it is kind of warm because it is much easier to clean them up as they don't have food crusted to their sleeves.

I have decided to make my own baby food as I am cheap and I figure I can do it just fine. My MIL gave me a baby food make called a Beaba from Williams Sonoma. It is pretty handy as it will steam the food and then you just blend it up to the consistency you want. I like it though it does not cook grains so I am still working on perfecting rice cereal and oatmeal. The boys like both, though more of it seems to end up on their faces than in their mouths.

Raising twins

My boys are the best yet I find sometimes I wish I only had one at a time. They truly are a double blessing, but when both are crying and I am alone it would be nice to only have one. I enjoy them so much, they are the best thing that every happened to me (besides Ryan).

The boys are growing so quick, they are already 5 months old. I can't believe how quick time goes. My advice to anyone with newborns is to hold them as much as possible. I look back at pictures of our boys just a few months ago and I already wish I had spent more time holding them. It goes so quick and they grow so fast.

Wesley is outpacing Jonah in weight and height. I weighed them this morning and Wesley was 14 pounds and Jonah was 13. I always thought of Jonah as bigger, but Wesley definitely takes the cake. He is a more efficient eater, even when he is asleep.

So far both boys have rolled over from their stomach to their back and Wesley is almost ready to roll over from his back to front, I think mostly because he is so wiggly. Our other adventure is starting rice cereal. We are on our second week of it. I think the boys are finally starting to get it. With the two rice cereal meals a day I am having to pump, which is not my favorite thing. I am also trying to stock the freezer for when I go to the women's retreat for church in a couple of weeks. I am blessed to have abundant milk...

Here are a few photos of the boys sitting in their high chairs.

Going for a hike...

I had the great idea of taking the boys on a hike in the Bob after speaking with another mom. She told me about a nice path that was four feet wide and about two miles round trip so instead of getting specific directions, I just looked it up and came up with what I thought was the right place. So I convinced Ryan to go with me and I thought it would be fun to take the dogs, well it was way different...

We get to the location after riding in the car for fifteen minutes with Schmidt our Westie whining the whole way and Ryan telling him no. Finally the dogs were banished to the floor of the passenger side. When we arrive we get all loaded up with the stroller and the dogs on their leashes and start down this long hill to the "path" or more like a little foot trail. So we decided to give it a try with cross country in the Bob. Ryan sure got a good workout pushing it while I walked ahead with the dogs. Let's just say that we only went about a 1/4 mile before we turned around. The twins were wide eyed the whole time, not sure if it was from fright or excitement. So we turned around and came home.

It was Ryan's day off and unfortunately it was not a relaxing hike like I thought it would be, next time I will get more specific directions...

Nap time

Since taking the pacifier away almost three weeks ago, nap time has gone out the window. I decided that today was the day that that was going to change. As I sit here, I can here the chorus of crying from the nursery. Part of me is sad that they are crying, but I know it is better to do it now before they get too much older. I decided the only way to do it was to cry it out with frequent check ins. It seems almost pointless to go in and check on them because all they do is continue to lay there and cry.

Anyway, I read quite a bit and decided to let them CIO for 70 minutes and if they are not asleep by then, we will take a 1/2 hour break and do it all over again. If they have not slept in the second time we will take a short car ride to get them to hopefully sleep for a few minutes and they will try it again this afternoon.

I realized that I can't keep having them not nap as all of us are tired and cranky when Ryan comes home and we all need a break during the day. Yesterday we had to drive to Lincoln about 40 min from home and they both fell asleep for over two hours. It was much nicer at home last night because of their long nap.

They sleep great in their cribs at night. The photos here show how cute they are when they are asleep. I love my boys, but sometimes it can be tough being a mom, especially when there is no break during the day.

keeping up

The boys are becoming more interactive yet I am finding I am having a harder time getting things done. Having twin boys is truly a full time job. They are so much fun and are learning new things everyday.

I find myself resorting to things I though I would never do, the boys are avid watchers of HGTV on some days depending on their nap schedule. I took their pacifiers away two weeks ago and they are getting better at self soothing but their naps have become short and infrequent unless we are in the stroller or the car.

Some fun things that have happened recently include Jonah rolling over today. I figured it would happen soon but it still surprised me. He was on his stomach and then all of a sudden he was on his back. Wesley was happy to just lay there and watch. I am sure he will be doing it soon...

We went to my inlaws over the weekend and enjoyed a dinner out with Ryan's family without the boys. They did pretty well with the babysitter, I did just fine too, I only had to call one time. I made the call right when we got to the restaurant so Ryan would not give me a hard time about checking up on them, however he caugh me because they had gotten a close parking space. Oh well!

Well, I will try to update the blog more often. Each day goes by so quickly and I find myself thinking about things to do and then never doing them. Mommy brain strikes daily here at the Maddox house. I have become a great multitasker though I forget half the tasks I am doing right after I start them. As I type this I am bouncing Jonah and Wesley is watching House Hunters.