The Boys' 1st Christmas

This post is a couple of weeks late, but the boys have been going through a major sleep regression, so it's a win if I can have a few moments to myself before they wake up each morning!  

"Babies' First Christmas" was so nice.  Andy's mom and stepdad came into town for the whole week of Christmas, and it was great to spend that time with them.  The last time they saw the boys was back in August, and of course we all know how much babies change each month.  The boys were happy and playful (as usual), so it was a fun visit.  We all went to ZooLights with my brother, sister, and mom on Monday before Christmas, which is a big beautiful light display the Phoenix Zoo puts on each year.  Apparently zoos across the country do it, too!  It was fun.  Probably something we'll not revisit until the boys are older, but I've been dying to check it out, so I'm glad we went.

We all went up to Paradise Valley on Christmas Eve and stayed a couple nights at my parents' house so we could all be together on Christmas morning.  My grandparents are in town for an extended winter stay, and my older sister was able to come in town for a couple days.  She brought a friend who couldn't get home to NY for the holiday, so we had a full house!  

Of course, the boys are so little, it wasn't a big deal for them.  We got them a few (I thought few, but when all was said and done, they got a lot of toys) new toys, and they got a couple bigger toys from Grammy and Poppy (Andy's parents).  Other than that they got lots of pajamas (yay!), outfits, and books.  I love children's books, so even though they're not into stories yet, I'm all about stocking their library.  

I'm so glad we got to spend their first Christmas with so much family around.  It's just a sweet memory that I know we'll all have for years to come.  They did well and didn't seem too overwhelmed by all of the people or all of the gifts.  (Because there was definitely an explosion of packages under the 12-foot tree!)  I'm kind of hyper-vigilant about overstimulation with them... maybe it's because I don't like to be overstimulated myself!  Ha.  Or just that I like to prevent meltdowns if possible and if they are avoidable.  For the boys' sakes. 

Here are some pictures I got from the few days:

Grammy and Poppy's arrival!  

Then we quickly packed up the cars and headed to ZooLights!

                 

                     

Andy Claus driving up all of our gifts to my parents' house!

 Babies' first bites of orange--Zachary loved it!  Benji made lots of funny faces but overall enjoyed it.

And can we just talk about these sweater vests?

Getting our sillies out before bedtime!

Family Photo

B+Z and their great-grandparents, Nanny and Bo!

I snuck out to take this pic when all was quiet in the house.  There's just something "magical" about the Christmas tree and presents on Christmas Eve.

 Beautiful quilted stockings made by my talented mother!

Christmas morning!

Xmas morning selfie! 

 This is the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Puppy and Friends Learning Table that we got the boys, and it has been a hit with them... and I know even more so when they can pull themselves up and down by themselves.

                         

Zachary is obsessed with opening and closing this laptop.  I realized yesterday that there are 2 knobs in the plastic that prevents the laptop from closing flush to itself, which then prevents little fingers from getting crushed.  So smart!

Benji and Auntie C!

                

Baby's First Christmas booty!

8 Months Old!

How have two thirds of the year already gone by?  

Our little babies are growing so fast, 

and their personalities are continuing to emerge with each passing day.

Month 7 brought another set of challenges with a seemingly month-long cold, accompanied by horrible coughs and some throwing up and refusing to eat.  Andy and I have also been sick, too.

We are getting by ok... although some days I have no idea what I'm doing!  :)

Sleeping has been difficult, too.  Naps are pretty good, but nights can be up in the air.

But, almost every morning--no matter what the night was like--my babies wake up smiley and giggly.

Benji

*You still only have 2 little bottom teeth and look SO cute when you talk to us.  You're not showing any acute signs of any other teeth growing soon.

*You are still learning to crawl but have your own special crawl down.  You can get up on your knees and make one crawl forward but then do an army crawl/reach kind of move after that.  You've mastered rolling, for sure,  if all else fails :)  You definitely get to where you need to go, though!

*You're still a good eater, but the both of you are taking in less milk overall during the day. Mommy still hasn't figured you out...what you need and when :(

*You have 3 solid meals a day, and you like breakfast the most... yogurt and oatmeal with a fruit.  We've discovered that you do NOT like textures and have a tough time getting past anything that's not super pureed.  So... you don't like puffs yet.  You have thrown up a couple times from gagging because of a food being too textured.  Hopefully practice will make perfect with this.

*You have a new sound that you love to make, especially when you're having fun with a toy.  It sounds like the "ahhh" someone makes when they taste something yummy or are satisfied with something.  You repeat it over and over.  Very funny and VERY cute.  

*You're pretty content and are good at playing by yourself and a toy or in your exersaucer.

*Like I said above, sleeping has been tough, but we have learned that you are very sensitive and when you wake up overnight, so just need to know we're there.  So we rub your back and neck and let you know we're there, and you typically fall back to sleep.

*Zachary is still the tough guy, but you have been caught stealing his toys time and again :)

Zachary

*Your bottom two teeth are soon going to be joined by your top 2 teeth. You are currently teething and they are about to break through.  (8.5 months old)  Because of this you have bright red, chapped cheeks and a bit of a diaper rash.  Not to mention constant drool.

*You have mastered crawling, and I can hardly leave you alone for long because you of course are into everything.  Unlike Benji, you seem to be very busy all the time and are not entertained with one single toy for long.  ;)

*Your vocabulary is building, and your new favorite sound/word is dada-gaga-dada-gaga.  You wake up talking and very happy.

*You love yogurt and oatmeal with fruit, too, but you are also pretty good at eating other meals.  Both you and your brother don't have the biggest appetites around, though.  BUT you LOVE Puffs, which we started this month.  Your pincer grasp is so good, though you're still learning.  If you get a puff in the palm of your hand, it's hard for you to find it again.  

*As far as bottles and milk--you're going on a hunger strike of sorts.  You'll take your morning bottle great, but I can't seem to get many more ounces in you throughout the day.  And you're waking up famished overnight.  I'm hoping we can get over this hump soon.

*You still are so smiley and funny and goofy and love to play and wrestle with us.  

I love my Benji Bear and Zachy Poo!

7 Months Old!

Benjamin

• You are our snuggle bug.  
• I love how you're in LOVE with your daddy.  Your eyes and face light up when he walks into the room.  You never pass up an opportunity to sit in his lap.
• Your new favorite "toy" are the drawstrings on hoodies--if they dangle in front of you, you grab them and suck on them right away!
• You grew in your 2 bottom teeth like a champ.
• You're getting more coordinated with eating solids, although you still make a sour face a lot of the time when you swallow.  It's pretty funny.  
• When you sit next to your brother, you like to touch his arm.  It's very sweet.
• You've had a lot of mosquito bites this month--just like mommy.  Those darn bugs!  We're just too sweet :)
• Sleeping has not been great this past month.  Your cold/allergies/cough has not really gone away.  I'm not sure if that's what's waking you overnight or teething or what, but you wake up a lot and cry.  Some nights it takes a long while to settle you back down, and you don't like to "cry it out".  We are hoping this is a phase we can train you out of, but it's hard for mommy because your cough makes her feel bad!
• You now sit up very well on your own, although you do have your moments when you topple over.  
• You have really found your voice and love to babble.  You're also very entertained by your brother and like to laugh at him.  
• You have a Buddah belly and very chubby little feet. 
• Your hair has lightened up but is still brown... and so soft.  I also think you might have some curl to it.
• You fit comfortably in 9 month clothing, but we can still squeeze you into 6 months, too.  
• Size 2 diapers during the day and Size 3 at night.  We will change over to Size 3 altogether, though, once I finish up the box of 2s.  
• You take 6-8 oz 4x/day.

Zachary

• Still our strong and busy guy.  Most mornings when I come in to get you boys up for the day, you're already up on your hands and knees, rocking back and forth and talking.  You are ready to take on the day!
• Speaking of hands and knees... you have begun to crawl!  You take a few steps and then get distracted, but you can do it!  Pretty soon you'll be crawling all over the place.  For now, you can get to a toy you're interested in that's close by.
• You have had a cold, too, for awhile.  It hasn't bothered you too badly, but your cough is still pretty bad!  
• You are a very good eater.  Your favorites are green beans and bananas.
• You have a deep, raspy voice and kind of sound like when Joey Gladstone on Full House imitated Popeye.  Haha!
• You are a champ at sitting up.
• You have a nice round tummy and big ole thunder thighs.
• You're still shorter than your brother.
• Your hair is still reddish orange, and I love it. 
• You fit comfortably in 6 month clothes, and 9 month still have some room to grow.
• You take 4-8 oz 4x/day.

Rough Schedule

6:30ish  You start to stir... usually it's Zachary first, but he plays quietly until it's time to get up.

7 am Wakey wakey!  Play in your cribs while I change your diapers and put on your outfits

7:30 am Bottles then play

8:30 am Breakfast - oatmeal and some baby fruit

9/9:30 am Nap #1

11:00 Wake & bottles

12 noon Lunch - fruit & veggies (if we're home and not busy)

1/1:30 Nap #2

3:00 Wake & bottles

3-6 pm Playtime, run errands, go for walks, take a bath...  On Sundays and Tuesdays, we have church and lifegroup, which helps fill this time.  On the occasion we're just home, the boys tend to be pretty cranky until bed time.

6 pm  Dinner - Solids

7 pm Get ready for bed and have bedtime bottle.

7:30 pm Night night ;)

Who can resist a baby in a bucket?

 Family Hike to Hole in the Rock in Papago Park!

Having fun in our swings!

6 months old!

Happy Half Birthday, 

Benjamin and Zachary!

My little babies are growing so fast!  

I really can't believe how half of their first year of life has already passed.  I think back to my tumultuous labor and delivery, and the hard first few weeks at home... I remember thinking that 6 months was so far away.  And now we're here, and it seems too fast.  Yes, there have been times and nights and days that have been challenging, but I feel absolutely so thankful to have these guys in our life.  They have brought us such joy and are fulfillments of many promises.  We laugh everyday and are amazed to see--even now--the words God spoke over them to us when I was pregnant play out in their personalities.  It is so fun to have children in the home!  

Month 6 has been quite full.  

We've experienced...

allergies, 

an ear infection, 

colds,
allergies?, 

sleeping through the night, 

waking up multiple times at night, 

starting solids, 

sitting up, 

getting up on knees, 

growing 2 teeth, 

a surprise visit from Auntie D...

Benjamin:  18 lbs 10 oz, 28 ins

• Poor Benji has been through the ringer this month.  We believe he has seasonal allergies (like father like son!), which has caused a longterm cough... which has then caused an ear infection.  Since August, I've taken him into the doctor 3 times :(  The first 2 times, they said he must have allergies/a cold and he was fine.  A couple week ago his cough started getting worse and we went through a whole week with him literally being up for hours at night crying.  No one was getting sleep, so I finally took him in again, and he had an ear infection!  Poor buddy.  But he's finally back to his talkative, happy self--on day 7 of antibiotics.  
• He has started semi-sitting up by himself.  It's more like tripod-ing.   
• Still a talker.  He has definitely found his voice and loves to make fun, LOUD, happy noises when he's playing or just lying there.
• He is a huge daddy's boy.  He loves to grab Andy's face and just stare into his eyes.  It melts our hearts.
• I love how snuggly he is; when he's sleepy or just chilled out, he will nuzzle his head onto your shoulder.  It's adorable.  
• When we talk to him or smile at him--or anyone, for that matter-- he returns to us a big, dimply grin. 
• He is a good eater and likes to grab the spoon when it's coming at him.
• Still no teeth, but loves to chew on things--especially his finger!
• He has gotten pretty adept at rolling over, but he is also more content than his brother to just lie still where I've left him.  
• He loves to pull his legs up and grab his toes.

Zachary: 17 lbs 5 oz, 27 ins

• Oh, Zachary!  He is our happy, busy, funny guy.
• I am in love with his wide, open-mouthed grin and his deep, raspy laugh.
• Even when he's tired and cranky, if I smile at him, he opens his mouth wide and smiles back. It's amazing, and I'll never tire of it.
• He has found his voice more, too, and it's deep and raspy!  So funny to hear him talk.  He says something a lot that sounds like "yeah!".  Funny.
• He is sitting up on his own.  Good boy!
• He rolls all around, moves himself in 360 degrees on his tummy, and is getting up on his knees as if about to crawl--but no crawling yet.  And he has started doing this Superman move--literally like the workout move, getting on his tummy and holding out his arms like he's flying while lifting up his legs in the back.  Pretty cute.
• I love how great he is as sleeping.  I think because he's so busy during play time, when we put him down for a nap or bedtime, he's pretty much out in a few minutes.  
• Even more so, I LOVE how happy he is when he wakes up.  Even after 10-12 hrs of not eating, he wakes up and plays quietly in the morning and gives me a HUGE smile when I come to get him.   
• He loves dinner time, especially when there are green beans involved.  He looks like a baby bird, just opening his mouth waiting for the next bite.  

As I'm writing this post on Oct. 24th, both babies have colds.  I think Benji's germs finally transferred over to Zachary, and they both have runny noses and coughs.  It's pretty sad!  I guess I would have to experience 2 sick babies at once sometime!  I just hope they're getting all their sicknesses over with this year so year 2 can be a little "clearer".  Benjamin might possibly have seasonal allergies, but who really knows this young?  The doctor said he can now have children's Claritin, so I may start him on that.  We'll see.

My hours at work are changing, so I will ultimately be home more often.  When I do go in, though, I will be back to 12 hours shifts mostly, which really means... leaving the house by 6:15 am and getting home around 8/8:15 pm.  Long days away from my babies.  But I'm believing ultimately that the more time at home will make it all worth it.

Here are more pics from this past month.

                          

 

Victoria came in for a surprise visit!  Yay!

Loving our green beans and rice cereal!

                      

 

Happy Babies!

Loving their walkers at Marmee and Papi's house!

I literally came home from work and Zachary had grown 2 teeth!  (Ok, possibly they were there in the morning when he woke up, but I saw him before I left and didn't notice them!)

Some healthy wrestling.

                 

Hey, Mom!

                

Loving the swings our neighbors gave us!  (They have twin boys - 2 years old)

                  

Zachary learning how to sit up.

               

Looking like a little man reading a book about New Jersey.

Snuggling with Uncle Nick a few days before he left for New Zealand!

More eating.

                 

Knowing how to smile for mommy's camera phone.

               

More fun in the swings!

Sometimes this entertains them for approximately 3 minutes.

                       

My little goobers in the walkers.