Our weekend in pictures...

As mentioned, we had a very exciting weekend, and the girls met lots of new people!

At the Lawless Family Reunion (where they met LOTS of new family, from across the country!), they slept almost the entire time since it was so hot.... so they were awfully chipper when we got home, and then throughout dinner with the Med-Peds gang!
















On Sunday, they girls got dressed (so pretty!) and ready for church. The largest of the newborn outfits fit wonderfully now... we've been waiting so long for some of these!





























After visiting with the Kaufmans, we went to a football draft party with a few old friends.





























Playing with Shazam, which sadly doesn't work for the iPod Touch! Boo!















In PJs and ready to head home!















Then on Monday, while Mommy was at the dentist, Avery played a little guitar hero. She looks like she was rocking out pretty well, no? :)

Busy weekend!

Sorry for the delay in posting! The girls (and Kyle and I) have had an extremely busy few days! On Saturday, Kyle worked of course, then we went to a family reunion for several hours in the extremely exhausting heat! Afterwards, we came home to change (all 4 of us!) and went to dinner with Kyle's colleagues until significantly past the girls bedtime! Little did we know that we'd be so tired just being out all day, too! Sheesh!

On Sunday, we went to church in the morning. After we got home, Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Troy came to visit for the afternoon/early evening. Then, we had another "late" night (you know, 9pm or so...?) It was great to catch up with some old friends, however briefly, at the 1st Annual Oxford and Friends draft party -- despite the fact that neither Kyle nor I are managing a fantasy team for the first time in YEARS.

Yesterday we were thrown off tremendously in our schedule, so the day went rather quickly and somewhat chaotically. I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon, which took longer than anticipated, and then it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to go 13 miles to home in the evening, due to a closed highway and traffic backed onto back roads, 40% of which are already closed due to construction.

We are very much looking forward to Kyle changing rotations (later this week), so we might actually have some time together as a family!

I'll have some cute pictures later (today hopefully), I just wanted to check in until then.


Have a great Tuesday!

A Few Quick (and oh-so-cute) pictures!

Remember these girls?



































...

Well-Dressed Little GIrls.....

(Thank God for great stores and great sales, no?! :) )



















































As I mentioned, I also put away bottles and nipples that we don't/won't use for the time being, now that the girls eat like champs. We went from about 60 bottles and dozens more nipples (uh huh) to maybe..... 20? Much nicer looking cabinet!

And before you think we're a little nuts (too late?), we used each and every one of those bottles regularly, due to feeding issues and - more pertinent - using 4 bottles per feed x 8 feeds daily for the first several weeks of 2 girls lives. Phew! No wonder it took 6 hours to go through, right? :)

Two Month Well-Child Checks

Yesterday's appointment went so well! Dr. B is very impressed with the girls' development. They both showed off a little, and were such troopers with their shots! Actually, they cried less than when we suction their noses out, so we all did well! ;)

Here are the vital statistics.....

Elise:
Head Circumference 15.25 centimeters (45th percentile)
Length 22 inches (27th percentile)
Weight 11 pounds (43rd percentile!)

Avery:
Head Circumference 15.25 centimeters (45th percentile)
Length 21 inches (12th percentile)
Weight 9.8 pounds (23rd percentile!)


Everyone in the office was so proud of their growth, and not at all bothered that we catapulted them there in just 2 months! :) Dr. B thinks they're more than on track for their chronological age, and blowing away the expectations for their adjusted age of 5 weeks. Hooray! We knew we had strong little girls!

The plan going forward for feeds, at least for the next couple of weeks, is to do the partially-hydrolyzed stuff during the day, and the elemental at night... along with the rest of the meds and routines that we've been doing. Hopefully something works, or their bellies just learn to function soon! ;)

For 6 hours (yes, you read that right!) after their appointment, I went through their bottles, clothes, etc to streamline our stash for our growing big girls. I put away all the preemie clothes, and even retired a few of the smaller newborn outfits (a couple of which broke my heart!). I made sure the rest of their supply (and what a supply! I'll share incriminating pictures shortly...) was in the best order it could be so as not to miss any outfits. I had previously organized the bigger clothes into totes by size, but I went back through each and every outfit and put them together based on their ACTUAL size, not the random set of numbers the manufacturer placed on the tag! Despite what weights are 'recommended' for each size and brand, the girls are still fitting comfortably into most Newborn clothes and are swallowed by most 0-3 months. If you've seen them, you know they are still somewhat petite (they honestly don't look "chubby"), despite weighing so much. Weird. Maybe they'll be so lucky the rest of their lives, to carry their weight so well! ;)

I finished the project by reorganizing their closet and drawers, again based on size and season.... and finally packing away preemie nipples and a few bottles that aren't particularly conducive to preventing tummy issues. It was a tiresome day, and at least a little bit sad!


The girls know what they're doing though, to keep their mama smiling. Both girls cooed and gurgled all evening, reminding me that even though they are growing way too quickly, we have so much to look forward to together!

And now a bit about routines...

Ok, so the only post I actually had intended to make today was this one, in response to conversations I've had and observations I've made about infants and "routines". Of course I use the word routine loosely, since babies don't exactly do what you tell them :) Until the girls are 3 or 4 months old, we realize that some things will be a complete toss-up, day to day. And yes, we realize that until the day we die, a few things will ALWAYS remain a mystery! :)

Instead, we implement such "routines" to help shape and encourage good habits, so that when they settle into their own in the next short while, they will be appropriate ones. For example -- From the time the girls first came home, we have treated daytime and nighttime feeds very differently. At night, the lights stay out or dim, we don't really talk to the girls at all, etc. While this obviously didn't make much of a difference at, say, 2 weeks when we woke and fed them every 3 hours, I'm positive it's one of the things that have helped them sleep "through the night" (you know, 4 or 5 hours -- "through the night" in infant-speak) since they were 5 weeks old. We have tried to establish the differences in Day and Night from very early on.

Other than some precarious positioning if both girls need something IMMEDIATELY ;) or slightly more cumbersome outings trying to accommodate two carriers and lots of "stuff", I think our lives are not all that different than if we were caring for a single infant!

At about 5 or 6am, the girls wake up (on their own) and eat 4 ounces. After this they like to think they're up for the day, but they are starting to give up on that notion because they really haven't slept long enough! I've been putting them together in Elise's pack n' play where they fall quickly back to sleep until about 9 or 10am. During this time, I usually shower, get in a quick quasi-workout, play on the computer, etc. Not usually anything too terribly productive, because I'd rather be sleeping .... if only my body would agree! ;)

If the girls wake up before their 9/10am feeding (which will fall 4 hours after the first, so not an exact science!) then we do some tummy time while we have empty bellies! This includes lots of time with mommy on the floor in their faces, holding them up on their forearms to encourage mini-pushups, etc :) They really enjoy it (and so do I!), so we try to take advantage of that and get a few tummy "sessions" in each day. After their 9/10 feeding, they generally stay awake for about 2 hours and we "play" (a BIT more advanced as they get older, but still fairly one-sided). They smile at me a lot - so we continue hanging out, because I think maybe it's just the attention they like! I like the smiles, so we just call it even. :)

When they start getting drowsy (2-3 hours later), I put them in their "big-girl cribs" to fall asleep on their own. This "nap" generally lasts about an hour or two depending on when they fall asleep, because by 1 or 2 they think they are starving! I love this time I have, because my house actually stays cleaner than before they arrived! I am so looking forward to them playing with me more during the day of course, but until that time I'll take advantage of the chances I get. In the long run, it will be quite worth a dirtier house in exchange for spending extra (precious) time with such beautiful girls! :)

The afternoons are a bit grey.... they aren't really settling into any predictable sleep patterns yet, so we don't have much to work with! ;) They like to take newborn-like "catnaps", which I'm sure could be attributed to either rapid growth (which they've mastered all too well!) or that whole preemie thing :) This is when the little stuff gets checked off my to-do list, because in between dozes we have a lot more playing and exploring (and eating) to do! We like to cuddle a lot in the afternoons, too, especially if it's been a particularly fussy day.

It appears they are starting to consolidate their sleep into a more legitimate "nap" in the late afternoon/early evening. I try and time their feedings so that they get the last daytime one at about 6pm, still just 4 ounces for the time being. (We had been doing 5 ounces for the last couple feedings each day, but if they aren't tolerating the formula it seemed counter-productive to expose them to even more of it, especially at the time when we're trying to help them get restful sleep.) We then play with them, especially Kyle if he is home, until about 7pm.

Then things get fuzzy again :) We've had a very real bedtime routine since the girls were about a month old, it's just changed appearances. I think it's important to help them relax and wind down, take in less stimulation, etc. Infants can absolutely learn that bedtime is coming, especially if they are given cues.

Our latest bedtime routine though, looks something like this:

7:00ish -- both girls to one crib in the nursery with their CD player going / bathe one girl, while the other chills in the crib (hopefully) / after the bath, it's time for lotion + baby massage and PJs (FYI moms, Aveeno makes a FABULOUS 24-hour daily baby lotion that is wonderful for eczema and is combined with a calming lavender scent - perfect for bedtime!) / repeat previous steps with other girl, while first bather chills in the crib (hopefully :)) / put both girls in one crib for a bedtime story / offer each a bottle with 2 ounces of pedialyte + mylicon + gripe water / off to bed, with a white noise machine - aka humidifier in our case - creating its racket (in the opinion of this light sleeper!).

"Bedtime" is after this, around 8pm, but they certainly don't fall asleep at this time. In previous weeks, they fall into a fitful sleep by about 11pm - 1 am. Last night, it was 9:15pm! I like that one better :) They sleep anywhere from 4-6.5 hours at a time once they are finally out, sometimes fussing once or twice in between but usually sleeping pretty soundly. Again, if only I would figure out how to sleep at the same time! ;) The middle of the night feed always falls at very different times depending on the previously mentioned factors, but somehow they always end up waking around the same time.... and it all starts over! :)

This is working for us, if by 'working' I mean that it calms them down somewhat in between pangs of belly issues. I know baths freak some babies out. If that were the case, it obviously wouldn't be advisable to do each night in an effort to "calm" anyone in the house down!

I know there are varying schools of thought and opinions on how to structure a newborn's or an infant's day, if at all. Kyle and I are of the mindset that, first and foremost, you provide for basic needs - comfort, nutrition, security, etc. The next thing that is of utmost importance to us is fostering their development and independence, from a very early age. For us, this includes LOTS of very specific interaction - toys, exercises, etc that are age-appropriate... as well as just letting them just "be" sometimes, exploring their world - and each other - on their own, instead of being all over them 24/7. Quite likely, some people have different opinions than us on the matter, and we're comfortable with that. Our girls are very much on track for their individual growth and development, they seem to be happy babies when their poor tummies aren't giving them fits, and we thoroughly enjoy spending time together as a family... that's a good enough set of outcomes for me for the time being!



I'm really not sure if that shed any light on our days or not. Certainly some don't look exactly like that (when we're out all day, etc), but they really do for the most part, and the girls do quite well. It is, after all, a routine based on their own patterns!

If nothing else, it's further proof that they are growing up too quickly, despite my best efforts!

Who would have thought....

... that Babies R Us - "The Baby Superstore" - would have carts that aren't compatible with infant carriers?! Nothing like shoving purchases in various places in the bus (stroller), hoping that nobody thinks you're attempting to shoplift!

On Fussy Girls...

I love these girls so much and prayed so long for them, that sometimes I fail to acknowledge when they are total stinkers! :) If you would, please say a quick prayer for our feed/sleep routine, and for their MD appointment tomorrow.

We're totally having feeding issues, that they appear to be "growing into" instead of growing out of. We are hoping it's not a milk protein allergy, or something similar that would require an elemental/hypoallergenic formula like Nutramigen. This would be at least 2 times more expensive per can, with no bulk sizes or generics that I'm aware of. Ack! Truthfully, I don't want any more formula change, because it's getting tiring to keep track of what creates which problems!

Of course I would do it in a heartbeat if it would make them in less pain, but I'm hoping it just isn't necessary! We have tried various solutions, day and night, but they get seemingly horrific belly pain with almost every feed -- and it's magnified at night during the colicky "witching hours". They get about 4-8 hours of truly restful sleep in a 24 hour period, which isn't good for their development I know! Furthermore, it's just heartbreaking!


For the past 3 weeks or so, we have been trying various routines without success -- different bottles, nipples, formula, sleeping arrangements/locations, medications, etc.

Last night I pulled out all the stops -- special bottle+nipple combination, tepid baths, warm compresses on their bellies after the bottles, loose swaddling (for security but not restriction), white noise, massage, timing their feed early to avoid belly pain right at "bedtime" but then supplementing with pedialyte and medicationss to avoid an empty belly, etc. (And by myself no less!) During the "rough hours", things were better than normal at least. They had fitful wake-doze cycles and no sleep really, but less screaming. (Previously, they would scream in stereo for hours every evening, in addition to the extreme fussiness after daytime feeds and - prior to the Zantac - >hourly waking with reflux).

So anyway, this could have been because we were outside all day, or maybe something helped soothe the colic - and that that's all it is. I'm obviously praying for the latter. It's a heck of a cumbersome routine to try and keep up on a daily basis, but it's better than the alternatives if it's something more. (And, babies totally outgrow colic! ;) ). Of course, there's also the issue of the other feeds...


Anyway, they go to the pediatrician tomorrow for their 2-month well-child check. We'll chat about this I'm sure, and I was just hoping (praying!) that I would have "figured out something else" by then. I'm guessing he'll suggest the formula switch soon, so I'm just hoping for a miraculous turnaround in the next 24 hours and 45 minutes! :-P

After 2 months....

I can't believe August is halfway over. The school bus will be making its practice runs soon, I will put out fall decorations and bowls full of Candy Corn around the same time (hey, at least I didn't do it August 1st like last year!)... and it's been two whole months since I gave birth to the two most beautiful baby girls I know! :)

If you are keeping track, the left and right halves of my abdominal wall are almost all the way back together! The lower few inches, where they were the most separated, have about a fingertip length more distance than they should -- but this means I'm clear to exercise them without forcing/keeping them apart! I honestly was so thrilled to do abdominal exercises this week! I won't lie, it was moderately frustrating that my favorites were so much harder than they were the first time I ever did them, but in general, I never knew I could enjoy working out so much ;) I have gotten back on the Wii Fit wagon too, so hopefully I'll see better results soon. I've gained about 3 pounds since my lowest post-pregnancy weight, which is annoying. Why is it so easy to put the weight back on?! I'm determined to take advantage of the "bonus" weight loss though (still down about 12 pounds from pre-pregnancy), so I'm getting my butt back in gear effective immediately.

Otherwise, I think I'm slowly getting back to normal! The itchiness and my rash-covered legs seem to be subsiding (knock on wood) (just as it gets cool enough not to swelter in pants....annoying). My incision is closed except for 2.5 spots, at least for now. My joints seem to be back to what I had become accustomed to, but holy crap did I lose all the flexibility I might have managed to salvage prior to bedrest!

All right, I know what you're thinking -- When is Jennifer going to remember that this is not a fitness/health blog, it's a blog about their family - namely the two smallest, cutest members? I hear you.

Avery and Elise are, for the most part, back in full swing. We still have a random low-grade fever on occasion and a little additional neediness, but they're much happier than they were when illness ran rampant in our house! They are also finally returning to a more tolerable nighttime schedule. They sleep about 5 hours then 3.5-4 between feeds at night, which is better -- but still not enough restful sleep for two growing girls! We're working on establishing a daytime routine in the next month or so though, so that should help tremendously. As I write, they are napping in their big-girl cribs after being up playing all morning. That's a good start!

They each continue to take 4 ounces of formula every 4 hours during the day, and 5 ounces for one or two feeds at night (depending on how the timing falls). This will likely increase soon because they're starting to think we're starving them, even though that's a very appropriate amount for their weight. I still can't fathom how Kyle and I goofed so badly during weeks 3-5 with the massive overfeeding. I'm interested to hear how their appointments go on Wednesday, but I think they've literally jumped been shoved across several thresholds on the growth charts. As embarrassing as that is now, in the long run I suppose it just means we caught up faster than we might have, and there should not really be too many ramifications since it was corrected fairly quickly.

We are not buying anymore Newborn diapers after we go through the last few we have here. The Size 1s are still a little too big, but they get the job done for the most part, and are a) much easier to find and b) much cheaper per diaper. 0-3 month clothing is starting to fit (depending on the brand), and they are filling out all of their Newborn outfits very nicely. They are actually getting a bit long for a few of them, even though a similar outfit in 0-3 swallows them. Maybe it IS a good thing we forced on an extra pound or two! :)

I've tried to update along the way with their playtime changes. A few other things of note -- Elise has rolled from belly to back a couple of times, but only when she's mad or when we aren't around to see it. Go figure. They still get lots of tummy time during the day, but are having a bit of trouble holding their heads up for too long during "flat" tummy time (no Boppy, etc for a boost). Still, they're doing wonderfully even for their age, which is especially comforting considering their adjusted age is about 5 weeks old! And by the way, the hair on the top of their heads is just starting to grow back in.... which makes their mommy VERY happy!

Ok, enough of the novel. I'll leave you with the expected photos (taken at one week and each month) .... look how big they are getting (and how cute they are staying ;))!

Monday

A few days ago I got my haircut at a new local salon - free, as part of a VIP event for the twins club! I can't tell you how much healthier it looks and feels. If you know me well, you know I get a haircut consistently every 7 weeks. Period. Well with bedrest, the girls' birth, etc I was pushing about 11 weeks... when I got the email regarding this event. That was 3 weeks ago.

So there I was this past Monday, having not had even a trim in twice as long as I normally might, and it was making me crazy! :)

Despite STILL losing handfuls of hair every day (lovely pregnancy after-effect, you know), she did something decent with it. Thank goodness I've always had "too much" hair anyway! ;)














While I was there, the girls went to Aunt Cassi's for a little while until their Daddy got off work. Apparently she ran them ragged, because as Kyle was holding Elise facing outward for just a few minutes (they love to see the world around them), she fell asleep in an instant!




















After I got back, we went to BW3 for a late dinner and to watch the first preseason Bengals game. We found a booth that was large enough to accommodate all of us and the seats (we literally have to avoid many restaurants when it's more than just Kyle and I because of this issue), when the server asked if I would like her to bring 2 highchairs instead, that we could put at the end of the table. Highchairs? I look at her as if she was absolutely nuts, and politely replied, "No thanks, they won't really sit in a highchair." :)

It wasn't until a few minutes later (really, she should have explained herself further!) that we noticed these:




















How freaking cool is that?! I want one. Well, two.

The girls must have enjoyed their first sports bar game-watching experience, because they told secrets all night instead of going to sleep! :D

New Friends!

Sadly, Elise's and Avery's newest friends are moving to Alabama at the end of this month! We had a lot of fun today playing with them (and boy, have they gotten so big!)...


































To my relief, we were able to pick up right where we left off! I really love these kiddos! Ben showed me his new favorite (motorcycles!) and Savannah talked my ear off!































Because I was hardly out of the hospital when their second birthday rolled around, I had to bring gifts! Cool shades for Benny (and big brother, Alex), and a "pretty girl necklace" - as she called it - for Vannah. Aren't they adorable?!


































We also bought Elefun for the twins, knowing the whole family could enjoy it. After a little misstep and Kyle's quick run to Kroger for batteries....



















... we were off! They were so much fun to watch!































Savannah eventually decided that her favorite version of the game was to pick up the butterflies, hand them to me, and we'd put them in the elephant base. Then she'd dump them out, and repeat!














Eventually, Ben joined in this kind of game as well!















They were both so smitten with the girls (when they'd remember they were there :)!). They made their mommy INCREDIBLY nervous around the babies, but they were so good, for 2 year olds! :) Savannah - a "binky girl" herself - was determined to make sure the girls had their pacifiers at all times. She even shared her beloved blanket, which her mommy says is a first!












































Benny was very happy to point out Elise's body parts (including sticking his finger right on her eyeball.... whoops!), and pat her belly. Surprisingly, my grumpy girl really seemed to get along with them well! ;)















I will miss them dearly, but am so glad that we got to spend time with them today!

Mommy's "First Twins"

Today we might get to visit with Benjamen and Savannah (and Melissa and Alex, of course!)! Ben and Savannah were my "first twins". For two years they were "the twins" or "my twins", but of course that gets a little confusing now, so there had to be a slight change. :)

I took care of these two from the time they were about 4 months old and out of Children's Hospital for the first time since their birth, which was at less than 27 weeks gestation. They were small, even for that 'age', at just over 1 pound each. They stayed in the University Hospital NICU for a few weeks, then were transferred to Children's RCNIC for several more weeks. While at Max's House I grew particularly fond of them, and - if I do say so myself - they did the same to me. According to their mother, I was their "second mama"! I saw them several times outside of the center and watched them grow up every day, 50 hours a week (give or take), until they were 18 months old!

They are doing wonderfully now. Savannah just got her G-tube out, Benny needs very few breathing treatments.... they are still tiny, but otherwise thriving! I absolutely cannot wait to see them again, be it today or sometime in the near future! It will be so much fun to introduce Elise and Avery to them, and it will be fabulous to talk to Melissa at length again!

I'll be sure and post pictures!

Love, Out of the Mouths of Babes....

"Love is the first feeling you feel before the bad stuff gets in the way."

"When someone loves you they say your name different. You know your name is safe in their mouth."

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

"Love is when you go out to eat and give someone most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs."

"Love is when you kiss a lot. And when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together so you just talk more."

"Love is what's in the room at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"Love is when you tell a boy you like his shirt, and then he wears it every day."

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

"Love is when your puppy licks your face, even after you left him alone all day."

"My older sister loves me because she gives me all of her old clothes and has to buy new ones."

"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mommy says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."

"When you love somebody a lot, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."




And the two that make this post most appropriate ........


"There are two kinds of love - God's love and our love. But God makes both kinds."

"Love is what makes you smile when you are tired."

Colic and Diarrhea and Colds (and Vomiting and Reflux), Oh my!

Yeah, that title about sums it up. Today we approach 2 weeks of illness for these poor girls. Just as their colds started easing up - not completely, but to the point they could physically breathe, and therefore eat a bit - they got slammed it seems with another virus. This particular one brought the grossest diarrhea I've ever seen (and I'm a nurse. a Peds nurse. with lots of chronic GI kids.), projectile vomiting (thankfully only every so often, not with every feed) and fevers. And poor Avery is refluxing worse than ever, with 10-20 episodes (literally) per day/night of puking out of every orifice on her poor tiny face. Her eyes glaze over, gagging ensues, and she looks at you with the most pitiful look of "Why did you let that happen?!". Her favorite time - if there could be a favorite time to do such a thing - is at night. The episodes often cluster at bedtime and beyond, so she and I are generally up every 15 or 30 minutes. Sometimes we go a full hour without incident, but that's just when we're really lucky.

And, consequently, the colds still aren't gone.

Tomorrow is a new day though, and hopefully it will bring some change. We've had Pedialyte on hand for the past 24 hours to offer them to prevent dehydration (and, well, to get something in their stomachs between feeds). We have Avery's Zantac which we are hoping works more quickly than 'in a few days' like it often does, and she's taking it like a champ despite it literally "burning" kids' mouths with it's toothpasty mint flavor. Seriously, a liquid medication - very likely in most cases for children/infants - in this flavor only? I've often pondered how this decision came about. Kroger can flavor it, but I imagine that would just be like sticking one of those nasty Listerine strips in your mouth at the same time as a jolly rancher. Mmmm.....

We also got plenty more Mylicon (which doesn't work, but makes parents all over the world feel better), Gripe Water (which helps, despite having absolutely NO physiologic reason to do so), Tylenol, etc.

We're well stocked and have nothing important on the agenda. Here's to a few more PJ days and then - hopefully - some healthy girls! {And then, maybe Elise could also outgrow her colic? But we'll save that for another day...... we aren't too picky, you know! :)}

Playing with Daddy

While I ran errands for a few hours this afternoon, the girls got to stay home and play with Daddy! A lot of time was spent continuing to fuss (we're checking the ears again here any minute....), but while they were intermittently happy, Kyle thought he'd bust out a few (dozen) toys that they might like to play with stare at.









Apparently he kept them doing something for a while anyway, because this is what I came home to :)
















Later, Kyle and Elise tried to demonstrate their aptitude with the "tummy time" ladybug. I have really been looking forward to this one, but I think it might be a bit too soon still, what do you think?















A little modification though, and she didn't really mind it!














We will keep you posted on the girls illness. So far, it seems like it's here to stay a while. :( We've had a rough several days/evenings, so hopefully they've put in enough time with this virus and can feel better soon! Until then, we'll take the few moments of contentment we can get and try to make them "fun" (can almost-7-week-olds have fun? :)).... and we'll, of course, bring you along!

Elise's New "Trick"

Three new posts for you today, and an updated photo album! If only I was getting as much done around the house..... :)


A few days in a row now, we've put Elise on her boppy to play like this:
















-- and we've either walked in to find the end result pictured below, or have witnessed the whole process..... today, we caught it on film. :)


































































She puts weight on her feet, brings them back under her, and repeats. Eventually, her feet are up in the air (over the course of several minutes). Of course, now she's stuck, and gravity takes its toll. Obviously she doesn't really do it on purpose..... but apparently she doesn't mind. What a goof! :)