18-19 Month Post

Patrick and Payden are now 19 months old..

Here is a bit of what they're up to!

Patrick

Weight: 23 lbs (12%)
Head Circ: 19.75 inches
Height: 31.75 inches

• Can get into to trouble in no time! His all time favorite toy are cups and it doesn't matter what kind. They are the first thing he grabs in the kitchen whether on the floor on the counter.
  

• Christian's mom gave us a couple puppets (monkey and elephant) to take on the plane. After bringing Monkey to church with us a couple weeks ago.. Patrick hasn't let it out of his sight since. For a couple days, it ate every meal with us; clutched in his hand. It is about he same feel as his blanket.. maybe that's why.
  

• He can make the sounds of a dog (panting), monkey (beating on chest) and fish (moving mouth). However lately everything has been monkey

• He absolutely loves books now and has to be the one to choose the one to read next. Usually it is the same one over and over again.. Thankfully this changes daily so I get a break :)

• Patrick is now showing us what he wants by pointing. Usually I ask him to show me what he wants and he either points outside or the fridge where his milk sippy is kept. One time it was the fruit snacks in the cupboard. Mostly it's outside; we go for walks a lot since his favorite place is to go to our neighbors and splash in bowls of water that she keeps to collect rain water.
  

• He is SO close to opening doors... I hope that day doesn't come too soon.
  

• I think he FINALLY has his 4 molars in after months of teething. Yay!

Payden

Weight: 22 lbs 8 oz (8%) We were so happy that he gained so much!
Head Circ: 20 inches
Height: 32 inches

• Payden has just started to jabber and it's the cutest thing ever! Mostly it's Ba Ba and Ya Ya. Then it switched to Da Da Da. I think that's either for Doggie or Daddy.
  

• A full fledged walker! Happened right exactly 18 months and he is getting so much better. He still has a hard time on certain surfaces and has had a few bonks to show for it!

• One of his clear favorites are books. He will just sit and look at a book. If he's fussing at me and I'm making dinner.. Usually if I hand him a book, he'll sit down and look at it.
  

• He has just started escaping upstairs and usually without me knowing about it. Once I heard Patrick carrying on (jabbering) a the bottom of the stairs. Apparently he was tattling on his brother who had climbed up and was playing in our bedroom. Usually he escapes to climb on our bed or play with the computer or slam doors.

• Whenever we get home from going anywhere and Maddie is in our kennel. All I have to say is "Can you get the doggie for me?." Both of them go to the kennel and unlock it and let Maddie out. Also.. a clear favorite (and EASIEST way to get them in the house after playing outside) is ask them to give Maddie a cookie treat. They both get so excited to feed her a doggie cookie treat.
  

Patrick and Payden are 9 months!

I know I say this every month but time just flies around here. Maybe that's why I have a hard time getting any cleaning done around the house! :)

Here are this month's stats for our two boys.

Patrick:
Weight: 19 lbs 6 oz (up from 18lbs 3 oz a month ago) - 33rd percentile
Height: 28.75 in
Head: 18.75 in

Payden:
Weight: 16 lbs 14oz (up from 15 lbs 13 oz a month ago) 4th percentile! - up from 2nd!
Height: 28.75 in
Head: 19 in

Patrick: He has recently started showing us that he has a very stubborn side whether it's taking a nap, learning to crawl or play on his tummy. When he wants something, he'll let you know.

• Constantly taking toys away from Payden. I caught a few tug-of-wars this past week and usually Patrick wins. Payden has started fighting back and has won a handful of times.
  
• has 2 bottom teeth. I keep thinking that he's getting the ones on top but no.
  
• I love his new smile - with his two teeth
• And with those two teeth, he is expertly biting off little bits of graham crackers and saltine crackers. Just beware of your fingers because boy does he love to chomp!
  
• He loves to jump! One of his favorite toys is the exersaucer and the johnny jump up. He screams and laughs and jumps all at the same time.
• When he's grumpy, it's "mum mum mum" and when he's happy... "da da da da" Hopefully this isn't a pattern of things to come!
  

Payden:

• He is now (as of the first week of October) a very accomplished sitter.

• He has been rolling in his crib but just last week we was able to roll over on the floor and now has been doing it all the time. It just took that one time and now he's all over! He loves to do it in order to get the toys on the floor. Diaper changes are quite the workout for him and mommy has you try to somehow get the diaper on a continually wiggling child. I'm sure it will only get harder as they get older.
  
• Last Sunday he blew his first little raspberries with his tongue, it is the cutest thing. Usually if I blow one at him, he'll stick his tongue out too and mimic me. The therapist that comes every week said that blowing raspberries is a precursor to talking. That made me happy!
• One little tooth on the bottom which makes breastfeeding almost impossible because he loves to chomp. The only time I can do it is when he is extremely hungry or tired.
  

More Pictures!

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!

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!!

6 Months & the Traumatic Dr. Visit

Patrick and Payden had their 6 month check up yesterday. I can't believe they are already 1/2 a year old.

Here are the stats from their appointment yesterday:

Patrick
weight-- 16 lbs 10 oz (33 percentile)
Height--26 inches
Head Circ-- 17.75 in (84th percentile)

Payden
weight--13 lbs 10 oz (2nd percentile)
Height --25.75 inches
Head Circ-- 17.75 in (84th percentile

Patrick

• Loves to roll on his back until he's on his side. He can move around the room pretty well. One moment he's on the blanket and the next, he's not on it anymore. Most of the time when he is rolling it is to make a grab for Maddie
• Absolutely adores Maddie and will extend his hand out for her to lick, will start giggling when she licks his face and when she is chasing after toys. She also like to grab her dulap and scruffy and her ears.
• loves peaches and could each them all day long. Loves to pull his feet to his mouth and suck on them even when his mouth is full of peaches.
• found my hair in the last week and loves to grip it when he's drinking his bottle
• loves to stand in the exersauser and move around and around in the seat.
• likes to happy-scream first thing in the morning to let us know he is awake. Usually it will wake up Payden who isn't too happy his brother woke him up.

Payden

• Still kicking those feet (pistons) all the time.
• also loves Maddie and breaks into a huge smile when she licks his face
• Has the cutest giggle especially when tickled on the tummy and under the chin.
• promptly rolls over once placed on his tummy
• showing toy preference and his eyes light up and he smiles when he is given a toy he really likes.
• we think he is getting a tooth - the doctor said that his gums looks a little swollen.
• Starting to jabber more and more - it's so cute!
• LOVES cereal, although it wreaks havoc on his constipation.
• has so much more hair - we love to style it into a Mohawk.

Doctor's Appt -

I was excited about their doctor's appointment. I had questions I wanted to ask and wanted to see what they each weighed. The excitement diminished however when I realized that I would be flying solo with 2 babies as they each got their shots. Christian came with me for the appointment and helped get them undressed and weighed. Once we got back in the room he had to run across the street and go to work. It was at this point I realized that I was all alone and wondered how I was going to accomplish the task.

The doctor's visit went well; although because they were tired and fussy I didn't get a chance to ask/visit her as many things as I wanted to. Both boys are checking out well. She is a little worried with Payden as he is not showing any willingness to sit up or stand on his feet. She wants him evaluated with a program here called Tiny-k and they'll help him with his development. I called them yesterday and they actually come into the home and see you play with them and then suggest ways to help him more. I'm pretty nervous about it and know that I don't have time for a lot of things and being a new mom I'm not totally sure the exercises I need to be doing with them.

In the end, both babies were screaming due to the shots and tiredness. As I was paying the co-pay at the end of the appointment, my doctor was rocking 1 car seat and the nurse was rocking the other car seat. I guess that's when you know you picked a good doctor. She actually heard them both crying and came in the exam room and helped to calm them down. Those nurses were probably thinking to themselves about me, "that poor woman has her hands full." By the time I got home, both were asleep and stayed asleep in their car seats for 45 minutes. I wasn't about to wake them after all their crying.

The best news: NO more shots until 1 year old - 6 more months!!

More Pictures:

3 Months

Wow! Another month has gone by; these boys are now 3 months.

We have an appointment on Thursday and we'll find out their weights. I think Patrick is probably about 12 lbs and Payden is 10 lbs.

Here are a few tidbits:

Patrick

• He recently discovered his hands and is constantly sucking on them. It's really cute when he finds his thumb and sucks.
  
• absolutely loves to smile.
• After waking from his nap, he will just lay in his crib and talk to himself and be all happy.
  

Payden

• He also discovered his hands are for sucking
• Just in the last couple weeks, he has started smiling so much. They mostly come when his tummy is completely full.
• He is becoming quite the little sleeper. The last week, I have had to wake up him for feedings and now is CONSISTENTLY sleeping 5-6 hours a night.
  

Pictures:

2 Months Old

Wow! I can't believe they are 2 months old already. And they are getting so big!

Christian and I took Patrick and Payden to their 2 month appointment on Thursday.
Their stats are:

Patrick: 9 lbs 4 oz, 21 1/2 in
Payden: 8 lbs 10 oz, 21 1/4 in

Here's whats new with the boys:

Patrick

1. He loves to smile and usually it's from ear to ear. He especially loves his Daddy and saves his biggest smiles for him.
2. Eating is still a bit of a chore. Don''t get me wrong the boy LOVES to eat but maybe too much. He will get so worked up and then refuse to breastfeed. Part of the problem also is that we started supplementing them with bottles when they were 2 weeks and I think he has realized how much easier it is to take milk from a bottle instead of me. It is our daily battle and some days are good and then other times like last night are horrible. At least he is getting 100% breast milk as I am able to pump for him.
   
3. After eating (described above) he is the happiest baby. He will sit in his bouncer and just kick and kick his feet. His arms will also be going crazy all over his head; Christian calls them his octopus arms. :) After about 30 minutes he will fuss; telling us he is ready for bed.
4. He is our little Houdini and can get his octopus arms out of any wrap that we put him in. When I go to check on them in their crib, his brother will be asleep but Patrick will be laying there with his arms going wild in front of his face.
   
5. He is getting better and better with tracking movements. He especially loved watching Daddy vacuum yesterday and had turned his head to watch him.
   

Payden

1. At about a month, we would describe him as a pretty fussy baby. He is doing better though and those moments happen less frequently.
   
2. He is starting to smile more and more. I was rewarded with a big one this morning after he had eaten.
   
3. Earlier this week, he also had started kicking his feet in his bouncer.
   
4. He is a champion nurser although he isn't taking in the full amount that he needs to. We are still supplementing him a little bit with breast milk.
5. He loves to sleep on his side and if he perchance rolls to his back, it will usually wake him up.
   

Pictures:

1 Month old (Side by Side)

So yesterday after the circus (ie...after both of them ate) they were extremely content and I wanted some 1 month pictures. Plus I realized, we needed some really good pictures of them side by side.

Here you go: Patrick is on the left / Payden is on the right

1 Month old today!

I can't Patrick and Payden are 1 month old today. The time has really flown. Before we know it, it will be time for the 2 month old check.

Here are some tidbits about each one...

Patrick

• weighs 7 lbs 1 oz (as of 2/20) - he gained 14 oz in 9 days
  
• loves baths and will kick his feet and smile at you
  
• nicknamed "Mr. Peepers" because when he is awake, he's really awake and seems very aware of his surroundings
• has ALWAYS held his head up from birth
• has lots of spontaneous smiling - absolutely the cutest thing on earth!
  

Payden

• weighs 7 lbs 3 oz (as of 2/20) - he gained 8 oz in 9 days
• absolutely hates baths - acts like your trying to kill him - he doesn't like having his diaper or clothes changed either.
  
• nicknamed "Payden the Piranha" because he like to "chew" his food - I won't try to explain this any further. :)