making progress?

Well, we had high hopes that the girls were making progress in the sleep department, going from 10pm-3am and then until at least 7am, but then the last few nights they have been up every 3 hours.  I have to keep reminding myself that, although they are over 10 weeks old, they are only 1 month adjusted age and so probably aren't ready to sleep that long yet.

They went through a crazy growth spurt, Samantha taking 23oz a day and Catherine 21oz, but they seemed to have slowed down a little.  It worked, though!  A nurse visited the other day to check on Samantha's progress (she's doing so great, but more on that later) and weighed them.  Catherine is a little chub (see her legs) and weighed 7lbs 7oz.  Samantha weighed in at a surprising 7lbs 15 oz!  They have their 2 month check up next week and I know she'll be over 8lbs.  They are now out of newborn diapers!

Catherine is our little talker.  She goos and gees and kays, even with her pacifier in her mouth (kind of like Heidi barking with her ball in her mouth).  She's generally happy unless she's tooting, that makes her a little cranky.  However, she rarely is wailing and yelling unless there is good reason (really messy or really hungry).  When she's awake in her crib she often gives a shout here or there like "Hey!  I'm up here and awake!  Are you coming?"  She's also ready to  move, it's kind of frightening.  She can pick up her chest off the floor and kicks her legs like a Radio City Rockette.  If you put your hand behind her feet she will push herself across the floor.

Samantha has very few speeds and they vary quite differently.  She can wail like a banshee, and her flailing arms don't help her calm down.  Once she is swaddled or you keep her arms still she can calm down (and she looks like a glow worm).

She also likes her animal mobile (it's so cool, it has a remote!)

Once she's awake she's quite chill.  She stares around at what is going on.  She's very observant and serious.  She's also just starting to pick her chest up, but she's not very motivated, not like Catherine, but she will scoot herself across the floor if you brace her feet with your hand.  She loves her bath and we are going to find a way to keep her in water if it makes her happy.

Recently, the last day or two, she is starting to make noises like Catherine, less crying and more 'notifying'.  It gives us hope and makes us feel good.  She is our best burper (she sounds like Daddy!) and more consistent eater, as long as she isn't too hungry that she dribbles her food down her chin (which can lead to another bath).

 We love our hats (not!) but mommy makes us wear them outside in the sunshine.

Catherine gives Daddy hugs.

 Symmetry!  Love our pacis with dolls attached.  We can hold them close.

Hi! 

Catherine stares adoringly up at Daddy.  See those chubby legs!

hanging out

2 months old today!  Nothing new to report except that Samantha hates going down for naps.  We're trying to get her to fall asleep on her own but she doesn't seem to like that (actually she voices her opinion on that quite firmly).  We've had some rough nights because the girls seem to think they should sleep in the morning and be up until 1am or later, but we're working through that as best we can to get them to sleep sooner and longer at night.

Here are some pictures I took just playing around.  Those pink outfits are too big but too cute not to try on.  We put Catherine on the left and Samantha on the right, but they kept rolling away from each other.  We switched them, but they rolled apart again.  Mom said they were like magnets, polar opposites.  Let's hope they at least get along and like each other.

These two pictures we just had to post.  Someone from Dave's job got them Easter outfits and one was that white onesie.  It says 'one of a kind' and has a pink chick with sunglasses.  It is definitely Sam's outfit (as you can see by her hospital picture).  She is a sunglasses, lay out and chill kind of girl (or at least, when she's not attempting to sleep or be changed).  Speaking of which...

 

First Mother's Day

(written by Catherine and Samantha, a team effort)

It is Mommy's first Mommy's Day and we celebrated by waking her up as soon as it started at midnight.  Then we did our best to stay awake and spend as much time with her as possible.  Then Nana and Aunt Mary Anne came and Mommy went to sleep.  When Mommy woke up we took pictures.

Last week we had an outing to the mall and Aunt Mary Anne bought us hats to wear in the sun.  There are two purple ones, a white one with flowers, and a khaki/safari one.  Catherine is wearing the purple one and Samantha is wearing the khaki one and the white one.  Samantha also has one of the special passies.  She likes to hold on to things very tightly (we think it makes her feel secure) and this works well.  

 

These are our Easter outfits from Dani.  Better late than never!

This is what Daddy and Heidi look like after getting up with us at 6:30.

This is our supercool ride!  Mommy says it is huge, but we love it, so smooth and easy to move around.

We are off to make mommy happy on her special day!  More to come.

my new life

(written by Heidi, the best mini schnauzer in the whole world)

Well, my life in this house has changed forever.  My mommy and daddy brought home this little person named Catherine.  I've seen little ones before, but not this little.  She yells, but not too often, and she stinks, and that is often!

I was hoping that she smelled better on this end, and sometimes they do, but many times they don't.

She also plays on the floor, which is my territory, but I guess I can share.

Then, just when I was getting used to things, they brought home Samantha and now there are two of them!  I just hope there aren't any more because that would be terrible.  Mommy put these things on their heads today and was laughing and saying something about Camen Miranda, whoever that is.  

Catherine seems to like it.

Samantha does not, but it keeps her ear from sticking out and folding over.

But she does smile at other times and they look kind of cute for furless creatures.

 I have tried helping mommy and daddy with them, especially on days like today when mommy and I are home by ourselves.  I try to keep them occupied and share my favorite things with them, like my ball, but they don't seem interested.  Maybe they will learn to love it some day.

So now it is time for a run in the backyard and dinner before the girls eat again.  Man, I thought I ate all day long, but they put me to shame!

The Cost of Pampers

(Written as Samantha)

Since Catherine got to update the blog yesterday, today I get my turn.  I've been home for four days now and I think I'm starting to get my groove.  I'm starting to enjoy my tummy time, I don't cry every time someone isn't holding me.  I have some trust issues from the time I spent in the hospital.  I couldn't eat and they kept poking me all the time.  They don't seem to do that to me now that I'm home so I'm feeling better and better everyday.

I enjoy spending time with my sister, though she does hit me in the head while we are sleeping.  Yesterday we slept in our swings at the same time.  I was my first experience in a swing and I really liked it.  Maybe next time I'll take the tall swing.  Catherine's been here longer, so I guess she usually gets to choose first.  I'm still bigger, so if it comes right down to it I can use brute force.

The main purpose of this update is to tell you about a little adventure I had with Daddy today.  Daddy went to change my diaper because I was poopy.  Little did he know that I wasn't done yet, not by a long shot.  As he was wiping me off, I decided it would be a good time to go some more.  Daddy still had my dirty diaper folded under me, but I pooped enough that it ran right off of it and got on the new diaper.  So that you don't have to count, I'll let you know that that was diaper #1.  After Daddy cleaned that up and put another diaper under me, I decided to pee everywhere.  I peed all over my clothes, the changing pad, and the new diaper - #2.  Daddy didn't know that I had soaked everything underneath me so he got out another diaper and put it under my butt.  Since he didn't notice that, I went ahead and pooped some more, just for good measure - #3.  When he lifted me up to clean me again, he finally noticed that everything was all wet.  At this point Mommy stepped in and suggested that I take a quick bath since I was all dirty.  One thing they didn't know what that I had poop on my foot, so just before Daddy picked me up to go to take a bath I stepped on another clean diaper that Daddy had put up on the changing table - #4.  

For all of this, I must tell Daddy that I'm sorry.  It's only fair though.  It evens the score for the nasty trick I played on Mommy after they did my barium study at the hospital.

While I was having fun doing my tummy time, Catherine fell asleep.  She makes lots of noise, but she's awfully cute when she's sleeping peacefully.  Especially when she's not hitting me in the head.