Almost Too Much to Handle...

…too much “big kid stuff” for one week, that is!

On Tuesday, we took the girlies shopping for their first pair of shoes! Baby A took off in her new kicks right away, but Baby B planted her little feet and refused to move, cackling the whole time. After a couple of days of practice, though, both girls are once again making tracks.



On Friday, we (reluctantly) used the infant carriers for the last time, as Daddy installed the girls' convertible car seats. They're riding in style now (still facing backwards),but Mommy will miss the convenience of loading and unloading them in the comfort of the kitchen.

On Saturday, we took the girls for their first ice cream cones! They were at once in love with the sweetness and shocked by the cold. They both cried for more, and then winced when we gave it to them. :) The problem was solved when I gave them some of my chocolate-brownie chunk ice cream. A strategically spooned tiny bite of brownie with an even tinier bit of chocolate ice cream...now that was right up their alleys.




And on Saturday night, we laced up the girls’ shoes and took them outside. We walked, hand in hand, around our circle. The girls had a blast, giggling at the newness; and Mommy and Daddy were in awe, looking at our precious little big girls.



We had a lot of fun with the girlies this week, but there were just so many “big kid things” to take in. I think I might need to plan a little better in the future and space out some of these big steps in the interest of maintaining Mommy’s sanity.

An Unpleasant Milestone

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on our Mothers of Multiples site about “mommy milestones”…those memorable hurdles I crossed with my girls, and was so proud of myself for doing so…things that once seemed almost impossible, but have gotten easier with time.

Feeding the girls by myself…taking the girls out by myself…taking the girls to the pediatrician by myself…oh, what sweet memories!

This evening I experienced what I guess I’ll describe as a “milestone”. It’s certainly memorable, but it was pretty far from sweet.

After quite a bit of chatter, the girls finally settled down for their afternoon nap. They were still sleeping at 4:30, so I decided to go wake them. I opened the door to their room and saw my precious angels napping so peacefully. But then I noticed something in Baby A’s crib. Had the poor baby gotten sick to her stomach?

I spoke to the girls, and they both started to stir. Baby A sat up quickly as I approached her, and she started to cry a really pitiful, scared cry.

And then the smell hit me.

Baby A had not gotten sick to her stomach. No, she had somehow unzipped her sleeper blanket, taken off her diaper, and made quite a smelly mess…all over her bed, her crib, and all over herself. And she didn’t like it one bit.

I felt like I had no choice but to give her a bath. And I had no other choice but to leave poor Baby B, who by that point was very upset by her sister’s wailing, in her crib.

At the end of the day, Baby A smelled like roses (or at least baby shampoo), Baby B recovered from her “abandonment”, and we got to bed only 10 minutes behind schedule.

My guess is that this is a rite of passage that most parents encounter at some point. I would like to think I can check this off the proverbial list. And just in case Fate happens to read this post, I have no interest in this process getting easier with time.

Fab 5 Friday

The hubs has been on Spring Break this week, so we’ve had a pretty fabulous few days!

1) We celebrated the girls’ second Easter on Sunday. We got some precious pictures of them exploring their Easter baskets, and we all enjoyed some homemade carrot cake. The girls aren’t quite old enough for Easter candy…which just meant more for me!

2) We took a family trip to Nashville on Tuesday with the “sole” purpose of buying the girls their first pair of shoes. They were so cute – and hilarious! – in their new kicks!

3) While we were in Nashville, we experienced another big first…we ALL ate out for lunch! It was so neat to be able to order the girls’ lunch off the menu. And, having spent years waiting tables, I was very thankful that they kept their mess to a manageable minimum.

4) We ate out for lunch again on Thursday. The girls were quite the attraction at the restaurant as they waved and told all the patrons “Bye-bye!” as they left!

5) With Daddy being home, Mommy has had a little more flexibility. I finally cashed in my birthday gift certificate for a wonderful massage…ahhhhh! I’m refreshed and relaxed and ready to wrangle the girls until Daddy gets out for the summer.

No Self-Esteem Issues Here!

Check out the girls checking themselves out in the mirror! Just ask them, "Where's the pretty baby?" and they grab the mirror and give it a kiss!



I think it's important to support their self esteem...I just hope I'm not creating two adorable little monsters! HA!

My Academy Award Speech

“They understand me! They really understand me!” I exclaimed to myself, channeling Sally Field’s 1985 Academy Award speech.

Since the time the girls were tiny, I’ve been reading to them religiously, in an animated voice, complete with exaggerated facial expressions and hand gestures. I’ve faithfully narrated even the most mundane tasks. “This is a kitchen towel. It has blue checks on it. We fold it first side to side, and then top to bottom. That makes it fit in the drawer!”

For the most part, my audience of two seemed unimpressed. At first they often fell asleep. Then they progressed to staring at me. And then I would sometimes get a smile, and occasionally a chuckle. (“Why does this crazy lady talk about towels all the time?” they were probably joking with each other.) Eventually the girls began crawling around me (or away from me?) as I read. But still, I persevered.

And then, it happened.

One day, a few weeks ago, it seemed like a light bulb came on.

The girls could identify various body parts, and they knew several baby signs…all bits of knowledge I had actively taught them. But when Baby A was walking around with her gown, and I told her, “Put your gown on your head,” she did it! I had never expressly taught the girls “gown” or “head” but she understood!

Every single day holds so much more meaning. It’s so amazing and rewarding to see how much the girls understand and respond to.

And these days I feel a little less goofy…and a little more justified…when I am walking through Target with the girls talking about “all the pretty colors of soda bottles…aren’t they beautiful?”

Easter Then and Now

Thanks to my trusty notes, I can verify that quite a few things have changed in the Emedi house from last Easter to this...

Exhibit A, April 12, 2009. The girls were 14 weeks old.

The girls dined on milk, milk, milk, and more milk. (Specifically, Baby A had 26 ounces, and Baby B had 32 ounces.)

The girls more or less had been sleeping through the night for about a week, but Saturday night into Sunday morning fell into the "or less" category...Baby A was up from 2:30 - 3:00, and Baby B was up from 3:30 - 5:30. They finally had their first bottles at 6:30. They had three naps and went to bed at 8:15.

We gave the girls a bath mid-day. Baby A weighed 10 pounds, 6.5 ounces; Baby B weighed 11 pounds, 7.5 ounces.

In their Easter baskets, the girls each got a book about Easter, along with a fluffy chick rattle.

As you can see in the picture, they weren't very interested in the festivities. They were, though, the sweetest, cuddliest snuggle bunnies in the world.

Exhibit B, April 4, 2010. The girls are one day shy of being 15 months old.

For breakfast, the girls dined on scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and a banana. For lunch, they enjoyed brussel sprouts, butter beans, and peaches. After lunch, they had a very special treat...a few bites of Mommy's homemade carrot cake! (I think we've landed on a new tradition!) For supper, the girls had steamed zucchini, fresh avocado, fresh strawberries, and some peach yogurt.

The girls are champion sleepers [knock on wood!]. They were up at 6:45 this morning, enjoyed two naps totalling about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and went to bed at 7:30.

We gave the girls a bath last night. Baby A weighed 19 pounds, 4 ounces; Baby B weighed 21 pounds, 9.5 ounces.

In their Easter baskets, the girls got some animal figurines from the Little People Noah's Ark collection, some stacking cars, and their first Crayons!

As you can see in the picture, the girls were thrilled with their new toys. And they are still the sweetest, cuddliest snuggle bunnies in the world (when they're not running at full speed, that is!).

What a difference a year makes! Next year this time we're sure to have pictures of the girls decorating eggs and going on an Easter egg hunt. The one thing that likely will not have changed, though, is my trusty note-taking. :)

Fab 5 Friday

Despite several cream-of-wheat-in-the-hair - type experiences, my week was pretty fabulous in all...

1) My girls are loquacious! (For those of you taking notes, that’s just a little throw-back to my 10th grade vocabulary list to say that the girls are TALKING!)

2) The girls have learned several new signs this week, including “bunny rabbit”. It’s as if they’re trying to summon the Easter Bunny himself for some tasty treats.

3) [My apologies upfront for the visual…] I was entertaining the girls with a full-on frog impression (jumping up from a squatting position). Baby A thought it was hilarious (I can’t imagine why?), and she now does her imitation – knee bends from a standing position – every time I say “frog”. I guess I’d better watch myself making up baby signs.

4) The weather is finally warm enough for the girls to shed their winter coats. How sweet it is to see their fat little arms and legs in shorts and t-shirts!

5) The girls and I enjoyed an awesome afternoon on Thursday. We went to lunch downtown and scored a sidewalk table. The girls sat in their stroller, content to people watch, while I read a few pages in my book and had an amazing veggie pizza. The experience gave me a glimpse of things to come…I can’t wait for the three of us to enjoy a veggie pizza together, do a little window shopping, and top off the afternoon with an ice cream!