5 Months Old

Eating
Mandy is a fantastic eater.  She has loved all the food I have given her....except Green Beans.   Then she made horrible faces, gagged and spit it out.  Understandable...the stuff was gross, I tried it.  I am moving her up to stage 2 foods now since she is doing so well.   Mandy will eat a whole tub of stage 1 and want more.   She eats it twice a day.     Little Emily is still not interested.

Sleep
Both girls go to bed between 6-7.  They both are laid down awake and put themselves to sleep.  Mandy gets up once at 4am for a bottle and then goes right back down.  Emily still gets up twice.   I figure this is because she is still so small.   She is a bit over 11lbs with clothes on.  They both nap 3 times a day.

Milestones
Both are putting weight on their legs.  Mandy has rolled from back to tummy twice but nothing recently.   I'm thinking by Christmas Mandy will be sitting on her own without support....she is a strong girl.    Emily has stranger anxiety.   She just wants me to hold her.   She will cry even if Nana or Grandma hold her, just wants her Mom.  Mandy....Pfft, that girl is happy with anyone but she does keep an eagle eye on me if someone is holding her. 

Weight 
Mandy is 16 lbs
Emily is 11 lbs.  A tiny peanut but she has more than tripled her birthweight!!

They are the total definition of Franternal Twins.   So different. 

They are so much fun.  Things seem to be getting busier with them because they want to be entertained more, thats great with me I just try to fit some one on one time with Cassie in there but sometimes its hard.  The days fly by.

  I often think how EASY one baby would be.   One healthy baby....piece of cake.    Two is hard.  When you are by yourself and there are only arms for one baby, and if they are both crying and need comfort ...ugh.  One gets my arms the other a swing, bouncer or a cartoon!!   Bath nights can poop me out.   More time to wash 2 babies than 1.  Going anywhere with 2 car seats is work.  I just can't pick up the car seat and take Cassie to story time at the library, I HAVE to bring the huge double stroller.   At storytime if 1 baby were to cry I could pick her up and sooth her but 2?    SO....we don't do storytime with the twins.  BUT, I am used to it now.  Its still busy, it still can be crazy and insane but now I often think if I were to only have 1 baby I would be bored!!   I can't imagine not having either one of these girls.  They keep me busier than I ever thought but they are a blessing I am forever thankful for.  

Picture Post

My parents had just arrived and I was holding Emily and Mandy because they were both crying.  Cassie then crawled into my lap as well.

Emily crying....again

Uncle Lee with his nieces

Playing Stack the States with Uncle Lee and Papa

Cassie's Christmas Ornament

The Twins Christmas Ornament

Stockings!

Ready for Christmas!!

Thanksgiving at the ER

This Thanksgiving I hosted for the first time ever.   I got the turkey ready in the morning and popped it in the oven around noon.  We planned on eating around 4:00.   It was around 3:30 that time got away from me.   I was feeding a baby and realized what time it was.   Handed the baby off to someone, grabbed the turkey out of the oven, set the table, peeled potatoes and started them boiling..... 

Matt came down with a cold on Thanksgiving.   So...he was not much help when it came to taking care of babies while I tried to get dinner ready.   And men are such babies when they are sick....at least mine is.   I have a hard time with showing sympathy when he is moaning and groaning, I have to try not to roll my eyes.  

Dinner turned out OK.   Next year I will buy a bigger turkey and I didn't make nearly enough gravy.  I don't know what I was thinking.   I will blame it on the twins and sleep deprivation.   BUT now I know what I will do differently next year.

Later in the evening I had Mandy and Emily on the floor.  I was getting them ready for PJ's but I let them have some "naked" time for a while.  I happened to be feeling Emily's toes and felt a ball of something.  It turned out to be some of my hair wrapped around her toe.   I tried getting it off, it just got tighter.  Matt tried getting off....it got tighter.   It was starting to dig into her skin like wire.  Her toe was bleeding, she was crying and then her toe started turning red/purple because it wasn't getting any blood.   I told Matt we had to take her to the ER, so off we went.   I told the nurse what was happening and they directed us to a room.   The doctors were trying to cut it off and they couldn't get it either as it was so tight, at one point the doctor asked if it was carpet fiber and I said No, its my hair....I must have bionic hair. They ended up numbing her toe so she wouldn't feel pain from the knifes by her skin,  she was crying so hard her eyes were glazing over so they gave her a break and waited for the other ER doctor to arrive for his shift to see if he had any other ideas to remove it.  When he arrived he took a knife and actually cut a slit into her skin to remove the hair.   What she had is called a Hair Tourniquet.   We were not the first case of this the ER has seen either.  It does become an emergency situation because if its not found in time the toe could have to be amputated because of no blood flow.  SO....it was an interesting end to Thanksgiving.

Picture of a Hair Tourniquet

Appointment at Childrens for the girls

Today we went to Childrens Hospital to have the girls heads looked at for their flat spots.  They both favor one side when they sleep and have flattened them out because of that.

When we got there the receptionist asked "Is one older that the other?"   She was referring to Mandy, who is 5 lbs heavier than Emily.   It was a strange question because....how in the world did she think I could have done that?  Had one girl and waited a month to have the other?   They did know they were twins.  

I have a few issues with this appointment.  

When I made the appointment it was just to have their heads evaluated, however they were booked solid for this and it would have been a month or so to get us in so they put us in the Torticollis clinic since we could be seen sooner that way.   At the appointment they told us both girls had Torticollis.   This came as a surprise to us and we both don't agree with them.  At my last appointment with their pediatrician I asked him if the girls had torticollis, he looked at them, had them look both ways and said No they did not.   He pretty much hinted that I was being paranoid. Now all of a sudden we are in the Torticollis clinic (which we weren't supposed to be in the first place) and they have Torticollis?...just seems wierd to me.
 
Second, I have seen pictures of kids with torticollis, the girls do not tilt their heads and look one way.   They just favor a side when they sleep.    When awake they hold their heads straight and look both ways.  

They showed us physcial therapy stretches to do with them....which I will do but again, I don't agree with them.  I feel like because we were booked in the Torticollis clinic they are just going to say they have it.  

Now on to the heads.   Mandy is worse than Emily which I knew.   Both girls facial features are symetric which is great.   We already feel like we see an improvement in Emilys flat spot.   The doctor didn't feel like she would need a helmet.  However  Mandy she thought would.    I am on a hedge about this.   Mandy is sitting up more in the bouncer, bumbo, etc... I feel like her head will start to round out some.   I asked the doctor if it doesn't round out fully what does hair do to cover it up.  She said she has seen kids who did not get the helmet and have a head full of hair and she can't even tell.   Hair covers alot.  

I have 2 friends whos kids had flat spots and they didn't get helmets.   One of the kids was very bad and you can't even tell now.   I do have a friend whos kid got the helmet and it was a big improvment in 6 weeks.   BUT if the head is going to round out on its own and hair is going to cover up alot why does she need a helmet?    I'm fine with waiting for it to round out naturally.   

The husband and I have to discuss this more.  

Yes,  Daddy left me for a weekend of deer hunting.  I made it.   He left on Friday and the girls decided to tag team me.   They are usually very good but holy moly, I was ready to tear my hair out.    I was putting Cassie to bed and Mandy was screaming in her crib while Emily was crying downstairs in the swing.   Cassie wanted more books read but I had to try to calm the crying little beasts...I felt bad for Cassie but she seemed to understand.    After getting Cassie tucked in I got Emily and fed her.....while Mandy screamed upstairs.   HARD.    Phew!!   Thankfully Saturday was a much better day.  

Before heading out and leaving me with these 3 girls for 3 nights

Uncle Lee also flew in from California to go deer hunting with my Dad.  They stopped over on Wednesday for dinner.  

Papa with the twins

Nana and Mandy

Cassie loves her Uncle Lee

Uncle Lee and Emily

 Shortly after the above pic was taken Lee fell down the stairs holding Emily.  Thankfully it wasn't a far fall and they were both ok.   Emily cried because she was scared and Lee is a bit sore.   Scary and easy to do.  Shortly after we moved in I fell holding Mandy, my foot hit just right and I flew up in the air.  I am now extra cautious going down the stairs. 

 

First pony tail for Mandy

Cuddled up watching Star Wars

I'm having Thanksgiving at our house this year.   I've never made a turkey before but I am pretty confident in my abilities!!    THEN.... we are setting up our Chirstmas tree and decorating on Friday....I can't wait!   My favorite time of the year!!

Twin update

 

 Matt's 10 year old cousin is here today and spending the night so she is playing with Cassie which allows me to quickly update my blog!!

Today - Sarah and Cassie painting while Mandy watches

Mandy

Both my Mom and Dad think Mandy has Matt's Dads shape face.   I love hearing that.  I love that both girls have a characteristic of Monkey Papa.  Mandy his face and Emily his smile.  He would really have loved this girls.

The girls are doing great.   The last week or so Mandy has been a pill to put down to sleep.  She used to be so easy and then bam!!!    Thankfully this week she is back to being an easy baby to put down.  I can lay her down awake and off she drifts to sleep.  Emily is the same way.   Its really nice!!

Trying on their headbands

 

Mandy has started on solid foods.  This morning she did really well with it, we may try bananas this afternoon.  Emily is in no way ready right now.   I show her the spoon and she gifts me her goofy grin.

Next I tried hats, that's when Mandy raised her fist at me and pretty much said "That's enough Mama!!"



Mandy also rolled from her stomach to her back on Sunday....twice!!   It is fun to see the girls do these milestones.  Cassie never did any of them.   She never rolled, hated tummy time, never crawled.   I was pretty worried about her for awhile.   It looks like Mandy and Emily are going to make up for Cassie being a very stationary baby. 

Mandy - this girl is in size 3 diapers!

 

Emily - this peanut is still size 1 diapers!

They are fraternal twins!!    So different!

Diaper Change!

 

Every day I let them hang out in just their diapers.  They love it, get really active and kick those little legs.  Its crazy to look at them and think they were both inside me.  What an awesome responsibility to carry and raise 2 babies.  I love the challenge.   Its double the work but double the joy. 

I will hold the girls up to each other and they reach for each others face, smile and "talk".  Brings a smile to my face, its so amazing to watch.  Mandy laughed out loud at Cassie the other day, I stopped in my tracks and just watched.  

"num, num num"

 

Everything is in the mouth these days....including clothes.  Mandy is constantly pulling up her shirt and chewing it.   Yesterday I had to change her twice because of her shirt being soaked with spit!

Talking

Little

Emily

Taken today, Emily in toy and Mandy on my lap

Cassie is an amazing helper.  This morning she took off the girls PJ's and their diapers all by herself.   I put the new diaper under their butt and she tapes them up.  She is a great big sister.   I'm really looking forward for when all 3 girls really start interacting with each other.

Can't believe the girls are going to be 5 months soon!!!

Pictures of the girls!!

Getting ready for solids!

She thought she was pretty cool sitting in the chair.....we are slowly working with the spoon on her.  Emily isn't yet ready to try.

Little Emily



Tummy time Together

Mom cooking dinner with an audiance

Sisters

Pretty in Pink

Hanging out in their matching outfits

Emily SO has her Daddys smile

I have caught Mandy holding Emilys hand a few times

Still holding hands

Play date with Bree and Adelyn

Stacey holding the girls

Mandy looked a bit scared that Cassie is going to drop her....I can't blame her

But she survived and was not dropped