Cuddle-bugs

In the last week, Patrick and Payden have all of a sudden turned into cuddle-bugs. It makes me wonder if they have always been this way and I haven't taken advantage of it before...

Typically, I would bring them up to our bedroom where we would lay and read books and then sing a couple songs. This last week, I have started something new which I think I will do as long as I can hold both at once! We come up to the room where I sit in the rocking chair with them and sing to them before their nap. It is the cutest thing! They both lay tummy down on each side of my chest. Sometimes they'll even hold hands while they lay there.

Here are their nap-time and bedtime songs... I usually pick one or two from list. They are all primary songs that I have memorized. It helps that there are multiple verses to each one. :)

My Heavenly Father Loves me
I am a child of God
Love is Spoken Here
Give said the Little Stream

Then, I lay them down in their cribs. Also last week, they have started liking their blankets more and more. Both of them will hug their blankets to their sides or chest as they sleep. It's the cutest thing! Payden has recently gotten to be a super expert at rolling over to his tummy in his crib. It's his preferred way to sleep now which is funny because he never rolls over when he's playing during the day. I figure one of these days he will.

First Graham Cracker!

I have always loved graham crackers. Maybe because I was snacking on them today, made me think I needed to do a post about this.

This afternoon... I was getting dinner ready and also trying to make cookies but had the 2 little men under foot. Payden was happily playing in the exersaucer and Patrick wanted to be in the kitchen with me. They have been very whiny today, due to some new teeth I found yesterday that are just barely making their entrance. I gave Patrick a graham cracker and he absolultely LOVED it. It was completely gone and his hand went right to the package where I got the first one from. After some time, Payden realized that he was missing out on the fun and wanted some. I gave him one and he was content to just look at it and play with it. About 5 minutes later he decided to nibble on it and finish it off.

Here are some pictures to remember the event: I'm still trying to get pictures of the first teeth.

A Day at the Park

After all the stresses of sleep training last night and today, this was a great escape for our little guys.

We and the little men went to a park pretty close to our house. We had SO much fun. Evidently they aren't too little for the swings there. I thought they might be. Next time I need to remember to bring a blanket so we can just sit and play.

8 months old

I can't believe the boys are 8 months old. Isn't it crazy how fast time flies. I find myself wishing for the older days when I wasn't so worried about them. It seems like I'm always worried if I am doing enough with them to promote them crawling, enough time on their tummies and helping Payden to gain more weight.

Here's a little bit about each of my two boys.

Let's do Payden first this time!

Payden:

We weighed him on 9/22 and he was a whopping 15 lbs 13 oz. That's 18 oz in one month!

• almost sitting by himself. Every so often he'll arch his back or fall over sideways. He does love playing while sitting up though
  
• absolutely loves Maddie. If Maddie is anywhere near him while he eats, he won't eat because he just wants to grab her fur or her collar.
  
• pivots now on his tummy. It's usually when he is playing with a toy and he drops it and can't reach it. He will turn and maneuver himself around to finally get the toy.
  
• almost flipping over from his back to his stomach. I've been working with him all week because he has been waking up in the night on his back and wants back to his stomach. After a few days of this, I have found him in the morning asleep on his back. We've realized he needs proper motivation to flip over to his tummy. Usually that motivation is Maddie!
  
• He is finally waking up as a happy boy. Usually one nap a day he wakes grouchy but the other times he is woken up by Patrick's talking and then he just rolls over to his back and lays and plays with his binky and takes both of his socks off. When I go into get him he is usually sucking on his feet, his socks or playing with his pacifier.
• We've started feeding them in our room at 6 am because they'll go back to sleep. He will drink his entire 6 oz bottle and then still want more. Usually I'll breastfeed him until he is full. It's the cutest thing because he usually grabs my shirt or my nose and I know what he wants.
• absolutely LOVES LOVES LOVES his Mum Mum rice crackers. He can down one of those things is no time but boy are they messy.
• On Saturday night, Christian's parents took us out to eat before the men went to the Priesthood session of conference. I brought some Gerber puffs with me to see if they would entertain them. Thus far, I haven't been able to get Payden to eat anything solid like this. He absolutely loved them!! I would hold one in front of him and he would open his mouth so I could put it in. He is also reaching for them and picking them up off his high chair.
  

Patrick

We weighed him on 9/22 along with Payden and he is 18 lbs 3 oz.

• has his very FIRST tooth! It's made him quite the little grouch (and the King of drool) at times but it is finally in. Now the current question is: Is there another one?
  
• sitting up now unassisted. There are still a few times when he gets excited and over he goes to his back.
  
• getting closer to mastering the pincher grasp. He can grab things off his high chair tray but doesn't yet know how to open his hand to put it in his mouth. He has done it twice now and acts pretty proud with himself.
  
• eating rice krispies with ease and also diced peaches.
• loves to be in the exersaucer and to jump up and down. He also loves the Johnny Jump up. Oh I wish we could move it downstairs; there just isn't a place to put it. It would make our lives so much easier in the evenings!!
  
• Also loves Maddie. He will giggle and giggle as Maddie plays with her toys; usually when I'm playing with them on a blanket. When it's getting close to nap time and he's a bit cranky, the best thing to do is to start playing with Maddie and he'll cheer right up!
  

More Pictures!

My Handsome Boys

When the boys were born in January, my older sister sent me two outfits that she made. (complete with shoes!) They were 6 months and I thought it would be forever until they were wrong. Little did I know how fast time would fly and I would be seeing my two boys in these clothes.

After dressing them for church, I almost cried. My two little boys looked so grown up! I couldn't believe it all fit right down to the shoes! We received many complements on them and I was only too happy to tell people that my sister made them for us.

Without further adieu...

Belated 7 month Post!!

Now it's time for the belated 7 month post... I can't let a month go by without one...

Here's what both of the boys are up to.

• Much more vocal and they seem to be always talking. There is a lot of Ahh and then looking at us as if to say, "Your Turn."
  
• Still having bottles about 6x a day. Whenever it is 5 they don't seem to do very well.
  
• Giggle and smile when they see Maddie coming to if she licks them.
  
• Now big enough to sit in the stroller without car seats!
  

Patrick

• If it's too quiet he'll talk and talk and wait for someone to talk back. Christian likes to call him an attention grabber because he always has to be in the center of it.
  
• On the way to the doctor I asked if they were doing okay. Of course I got a response from Patrick; one of his little Ahh and I knew he was okay.
  
• Saw a sliver of white on his gum line only to have it disappear.
  

Payden

• Weighed him last week and he was 14 lbs 10 oz with the dietitian. That's one pound in less than a month!
  
• I've started giving him pure breast milk to help with his constipation and it seems to be helping. Or else he's realized how to do it on his own better.
  
• Becoming more irritable at night; we're chalking it up to teething. More on that later.
  
• More tolerant on his tummy.
  
• Therapist at Tiny-K say that he is improving and is getting better. He is starting to roll to a side to pick something he wants.
  
• Hates when his brother takes things away from him. And it's only the beginning.
  

Last - here are some pictures from the last month. .

Payden posing for the camera..


Patrick bathing in the sink. We know he's a little big but it's easier than the tub.

Payden - master of the sippy cup. Yesterday he got water out of it.


Patrick - favorite toys are kitchen utensils..


Patrick - Yummy feet!!

Walking, Walking, and more Walking

Sometime in the last month, Christian and I have done a lot more walking at night. I think it has something to do with the fact that the boys have stopped taking their last nap before bed time. They are taking 4 naps a day so I'm still pretty happy about that. Because they stopped taking that last nap they really get cranky and we found that the stroller is wonderful. If they are really tired and NEED a nap than the stroller is there and they can sleep for a few minutes or so.

So we loaded them up in the stroller (w/o the car seats). As we were about 1/2 way, Maddie (thrilled to be out on a sniff, poop, and pee adventure such as this) stops and looks up at us. Then she is laying down and playing in the grass but not budging one inch. Now it's very clear, either we carry her or see if she'll ride in the bottom of the stroller. We decided to put her in the bottom of the stroller and she absolutely loves it! Typically she just sits there and pants and by the time we walk in the door, she's sound asleep and snoring. Ah the long hard life of a pug!!

I love that the walking gives Christian and I time to unwind from both of our days. Him at work and me with the babies all day. Plus it's exercise... have I mentioned that due to the walking and not going out to eat so much Christian has lost 20 lbs? He's pumped and I am too! I love it when he feels good about himself.

Patrick zonked after one of our walks.


Christian and Payden having a bit of cuddle-time after one of our walks


Maddie - below the stroller as she was too tired to continue.


Family picture - getting home from a walk


Another piece of good news, as we walk more Maddie starting to walk further and further. We'll get this lazy pug in shape yet!!