Twirls: 15 Months

The twirls had their 15 month checkup a few weeks ago.  I can't believe these girls used to be in the zero percentile!  Looks like they're making up for lost time!

Siena

• Height: 2 ft 5.8 in (21%)
• Weight: 21 lb 13.5 oz (57%)
• Head: 17.91 in (43%) 

Jaide

• Height: 2 ft 5.8 in (21%)
• Weight: 21 lb 0 oz (45%)
• Head: 17.72 in (29%) 

Dr. Tosto started asking me questions about the girls.  Are they still using bottles?  Yes.  Do you brush their teeth?  No.  Do they use spoons on their own.  No.  Are they walking?  No.  If they sit on a scooter can they scoot with their legs?  Ugh...  What words are they saying?  Mom, Dad, hot, pizza, dang it.....

Let's just say I ate some humble pie.  I really like to be prepared and on top of things.  If we're at the park and someone needs a band-aid - I have one.  The same is true if you need a benadryl, lotion, hand sanitizer, snacks, change of clothes, blankets, sunscreen, umbrella, picnic blanket, sewing kit, pocket knife, flashlight, bottled water, first aid kit, reusable grocery bags, magna doodle, toddler toilet seat covers, plastic bags, and the list goes on.  I hate to be surprised and caught unprepared.  (ironically I really enjoy planning surprises for other people).  I like to be the friend every one can count on for whatever.  So you can see how silly I felt in the doctor's office, answering questions like I've never opened a parenting book in my life.  To be honest I'm not really on top of stuff these days.  I thought that by the time the girls were this old I would be feeling like myself, but honestly I'm still in survival mode most days.  I don't want to play the "I have twins so my life is so hard" card, but sometimes I just don't have enough hands to take care of everything.  I'm sure everyone experiences this reality after they have a second child.  But I remember being able to hold Scarlett while I did a bunch of stuff.  The twirls get too jealous if I hold just one of them.  So most of the day I just sit on the floor in the toy room.  

I know I'm not spending as much time with them working on skills like I did with Scarlett either.  I remember teaching Scarlett to blow a kiss and wave hi at a young age.  I didn't even think to teach the twirls these skills til just recently.  So a lot of their current status is just my lack of energy.  But they know that they are loved.  They laugh and play together all day.  They know that I will be there for them if they fall.  They have clean bums and full bellies (usually).  They have a bath and lotion massage every night.  So ya, their teeth might be rotting away and maybe they'll be the 6 year olds with bottles hanging out of their mouths - but hopefully they'll do it with their heads held high knowing that they are loved.

I asked Dr. Tosto how her pumping was going (she just had a baby).  She said that it's going great but there are always rough days.  On her bad days she just reminds herself "at least I'm not nursing twins like Jenni."  haha!  I told her I was glad I could be the worst case scenario.  She said no, that I'm the stellar example.  At least I left the office with a minor win.

On the way home from their appointment the rain was POURING like crazy.  I brought a picnic blanket with me to cover the girls in the stroller - it fits perfectly and it water resistant.  Scarlett and I huddled under the umbrella and we ran to our car.  Another win for the mini van: the hatch back makes a nice rain cover when unloading from the stroller.  I drove into my neighborhood and saw the car in front of my die in a puddle that was up to their car doors.  I backed out and went in another way.  It was record rainfall.  Many of our friends had flooding in their homes.  Our sump pump worked non-stop through the night.  Jake said the drive home was crazy - but he got home at a normal time.  Many of his coworkers took the freeway and other routes that took 3-6 hours to get home.  Most of the hotels were booked as people had to abandon their cars.  I'm grateful we made it home with only soggy clothes.  

Detroit received 4.57 inches of rain Monday, more than any day since 1925 and more than the average rainfall for all of August. Much of the rain fell in just three hours in the early evening, backing up drainage systems and leading to flooded freeways and a disastrous commute. Motorists were stuck in their cars in feet of water for hours, and in one suburb, a thousand cars were abandoned. More than 20,000 people lost power.

A stranded motorist sits on top his car as he awaits rescue from the flooded Southfield Freeway, Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, in Dearborn, Mich. AP Photo by Carlos Osorio.

A week later we went to the pediatrician again for shots.  During the first appt Siena had a rash on her belly and wasn't feeling well so Dr. Tosto postponed them a week.  Well all the girls were feeling well but I had a really awful cold and lost my voice.  I just didn't think I could deal with all the screaming babies by myself while under the weather.  So my friend Emily came with us.  It was so much easier with an extra set of hands!  Emily noticed how all the nurses/administration there know me and the girls really well.  Yep.  When we were leaving Scarlett told Emily "Emily...your name has a 'M' in it!"

More about the Twirls...............

This past Saturday Jaide took her first steps!  I would have bet that it would be Siena to walk first, but nope - little Jaidey Lady!  Every time we think we have them figured out they change it up!

They are such great sleepers.  A 2 hour nap and over 12 hours a night!  Sometimes I hear them in their room, but they don't cry for me - instead they just play together.  I watch them giggle and play on the video monitor.  So cute!!!  There are many benefits to having twins!

Scarlett loves to go in their room when they wake up.  I opened their door then switched the laundry around, when I came back in their room Scarlett had made them "tents" in their cribs!  And it looks like Jaide's been using her crib as a chew toy.

Shots from our their dropcam.

I fell asleep on the couch and Jaide woke me up by honking my nose then laughing at me!  

Jaide was copying the book..........

This is the set up when I shower...

They can blow kisses (well, kind of).....

They are such great eaters.  All my girls are great at trying new foods. 

Scarlett opened the door to the garage, the babies heard it and started yelling "dad, dad, dad."  They get so excited when Jake gets home! 

I found these two snacking on some food they found in the diaper bag.  Just eating and watching TV like little people!

They love to play together and follow each other around the house.  Lately I've been opening some of the gates and letting them roam free for a bit.  They love to hang out at the bottom of the stairs.  Not sure why.  But they do it all the time.  Silly gooses!  It makes me nervous though, cause Scarlett doesn't always remember to close the gate.  Then at nap time I'll let them crawl up to their rooms.  I need to teach them how to go down the stairs...

Every once in awhile Siena will to the "Scarlett crawl'.......

And just so you know... after my humbling appointment with Dr. Tosto: the twirls no longer use their bottles.  They just drink their milk from a sippy cup now.  And I finally bought baby toothbrushes and have been using them.  They actually like to have their teeth brushed!  They will hold their mouths open and everything!  The only hard part is that Siena is really ticklish! :-)