No Tears

A couple of months ago the ear, nose and throat doctor told me that Brooks is tongue tied. He said that we could either get his tongue clipped now or wait until he gets a little older to see if it causes any speech difficulties. We decided to go ahead and do it now. So this morning at 5:30 AM we were checked in at Mercy Hospital. We got in and out quickly. Brooks was such a big boy. He never cried one time at the hospital. He did have a rough day the rest of the day but that is to be expected.

Wordless Wednesday

C.I.O. aka Crying it Out

Crying it Out, Controlled Crying, Tough Love.  No matter what you call it, it has worked (so far) on the Bridges' Boys.

Everything I've read said that it takes 3-5 days for them to realize that you aren't going to rescue/feed them every time they cry. It took us all 5 nights. Thanks to the kind words of my friend, Julie (see comment from previous post stating "you need to show them who's Boss") and Trent encouraging me not to rescue them, we started sleep training Friday night and here is how it went down.

Friday:  Around midnight Brooks woke and cried for 50 minutes then fell back asleep.  Soon after Jackson woke and cried/screamed for 2 (long) hours.  We were all tired and cranky the next day.

Saturday:  Both slept for 7-8 hours and didn't have to cry themselves back to sleep.  I think they were so worn out from the night before.

Sunday:  There was a little whimpering between 1:30 AM and 3:00 AM.

Monday:  They both slept about 8 hour stretches.

Tuesday:  Brooks slept for 11.5 hours.  I never heard a peep out of him.  Jackson slept for 8.5 hours, I fed him then he slept for 3 more hours.  It was glorious!

Sleep training has not only helped at night, but they go down a little easier at nap time, too.

All in all, it was less painful then I had anticipated.  The first night was certainly the toughest for me, but each one got a little easier. 

I'm sure there will be bumps in the road, but at least 8 hour stretches of sleep are way better than 4-5 hours.  Fingers crossed they continue sleeping well.  Hopefully, I didn't jinx it by posting about their accomplishment to soon!

Mom. Needs. Sleep.

Dear Little Boys,

Why won't you sleep?  I know I'm a lot of fun to play with, I give excellent hugs, I'm a great snuggler, and I'm the one with the bottle.  But, Mom needs sleep.  You need sleep.  So, please, please, please sleep like the good Little Boys that you are.  I promise you won't miss anything while you sleep; all your toys will still be here in the morning.

Love,
Mom

__________________________

I wish it was that easy.  To just tell them to sleep.  I'm constantly questioning what I've done in the past, what I'm doing now, what I should do differently.  I try different techniques, but just when I think I have it figured it out they switch it up on me.

I've tried an earlier bedtime, a later bedtime, one long nap, two shorter naps, rocking them to sleep only for them to wake as soon as I put them in their crib.  I've let them cry it out, but this just makes me feel like an awful parent and we all end up in tears. 

I'm sure I didn't do things right in the beginning.  If they made a peep I was there by their side trying to get them back to sleep because two crying babies is harder to get back to sleep then one at a time.  Sometimes one wakes the other and other times one can sleep right through the other one's screams.  I've tried playing soft music while they drift off to sleep.  I feel like I've tried it all.  I'm sure teething isn't helping the situation either. 

This weekend they are staying the night at Mimi and Grand's.  I hope that with me out of the picture they will do a better job at soothing themselves and getting back to sleep on their own.  Maybe if they don't sense my presence they will sleep tight for an eight hour stretch.  Fingers crossed!

If you have any suggestions for sleep strategies I haven't tried, I'm all ears.

Wordless Wednesday - Dinner

Teething, Tumbles and Tears

Now that the Boys have mastered pulling up on everything, each day they get a little braver.  Jackson holds on to the couch with one hand and Brooks is stepping between two chairs in the kitchen.  But with all this bravery comes tumbles, falls, bumps and tears.  And today has been no exception, between teething and falling it's been a tough day. 

But after their baths they were all smiles and I was able to capture them playing together. 

A few updates on the Boys:

Jackson should get his helmet later this week or next week.  He will then have a 10 day break in period which will transition him into wearing it 23 hours a day.  He has to wear it 2-3 months; I'm hoping it's off by his 1st birthday.  I'll post pictures of him in his new hat in a couple of days.

We found out a couple of weeks ago that Brooks is tongue tied.  This explains why he had trouble nursing, drinking from a bottle early on and now from a sippy cup.  His surgery is scheduled for August 26.  

The Boys and I are super ready for Fall.  All this heat has us trapped indoors and we are in need of some fresh air.  I just keep telling myself that in about another month we can get outside and resume our walks. 

Teething Time

The Boys are teething, which means fussy babies, sleepless nights and a lot of drooling. But today Clay discovered Jackson's first tooth. Now it's Brooks turn to get one.

Jarred Baby Food

Up until this past week, the Boys have only consumed pureed fruits and veggies that I have made. In other words, no jarred baby food.

But when I was at the store the other day I checked out the baby food aisle to see if there were any fruits and veggies that I've been missing. That's when I spotted Pasta Primavera, Lasagna, Turkey, Rice and Vegetables, etc.

So, I picked up a couple of jars to give to the Boys and...

Oh My Goodness. 
They love it!

They can't eat it fast enough. They want more and more of it.

This goes against everything I've tried to prevent them from consuming like "ascorbic acid". Really, that can't be all that great for them. But, then I realized how many children eat jarred baby food (me and Trent included) and we turned out alright (kind of).

I will give into their love of purred lasagna once a day. I eat a cookie once a day, so why shouldn't they get the same treat!

Fourth of July Weekend

We had a great Fourth of July weekend, which was spent with family, friends and food!

Robin, Brad and his three girls drove from Columbia, Missouri to visit.  While they were here, the swimming pool and diving board got a workout.  There were a lot of raft races, flips and dives.  The Girls were such a big help with the Boys; they took turns feeding them and bathing them.  We had big fun!

Debbie, Roger, Jamie and Mitchell took time out of their busy weekend to join us for dinner.  It was great to see them and hear all about Aunt Debbie's goats and chickens; we can't wait to take the Boys for a visit when they get a little older.

On Monday, July 4th, we participated in our neighborhood parade.  The Girls made signs and we all walked the parade route. It was fun and HOT. We were treated to watermelon in the park afterwards. 

Here are the Boys in the parade!

Hey Mom, we are HOT!

Here are the Boys and Girls on the last day of their visit.

Riley, Jackson, Lauren, Brooks and Payton

A Star in the Family

My cousin, Kelly, has made several commercials and this one is currently running here in Oklahoma City.  Check her out.

Crawling, Crawling and More Crawling

My little guys are on the move!

Jackson started crawling over a week ago and Brooks started a few days ago.

Jackson has it mastered. He crawls and pulls up everywhere without too much hesitation. It took him a few days to get used to the wood floors, but now they don't slow him down.

Brooks doesn't crawl with as much confidence, but I know that in a matter of days he will have it mastered. When he hits the wood floors he pulls his knees up and crawls on his toes; it's pretty cute.

Speaking of toes, they are keeping me on mine now!

On the move

8 Months Old

The Boys turned 8 months old yesterday.  Here's a little bit about each of them at the moment.

Jackson
17 lbs
He crawls, pulls up, stands, no teeth.  He tolerates solid food.  You can just look at him and he smiles.  He wakes up giggling and is so happy to see you.  He makes really sweet sounds, bats his eyes, but has an extra loud cry.  He loves to swim.  He wakes up two to three times a night. 

Brooks
19.5 lbs
He pulls up, stands, no teeth yet.  He will eat anything you put in front of him.  He started crawling this morning! He has a great belly laugh.  He loves to swim.  He wakes up once or twice a night.  He recently got tubes in his ears and has outgrown his fussy tummy.  Such a happier baby now.

What we are working on...
Waving and Clapping

My biggest struggle right now...
Getting the Boys to go to sleep without a fight.
Getting the Boys to sleep through the night.
Leaving the room without Brooks crying (separation anxiety...already).

What they are eating (gumming/gnawing) besides pured baby food...
Diced steamed carrots
Peas
Cheerios
Bread
Raw apple slices

Eight months ago, my life forever changed.

I couldn't imagine my life without these little guys.

Wordless Wednesday - Jackson Giggles

Wordless Wednesday is back!

(Brooks is on the left and Jackson is on the right.)

7 Months and Growing

I can't believe the Boys are 7 months old.  Where has the time gone?!?!

A few things about them now.  They sit up well.  Brooks has eating solid food mastered, Jackson still prefers the bottle over the spoon.  The clothes that they've outgrown are piling up.  I have still have a lot that Jackson can wear, but since Brooks (aka Bruiser) is several pounds heavier, he is wearing a larger size than Jackson.   I think we will have some crawlers in the next month.  Brooks can hold his own bottle (hallelujah) and they are starting to play together.  This makes me happy on so many different levels. 

I have a lot of pictures to upload, hopefully, I will get to it soon, but in the meantime if you have an iPhone, upload the Instagram app (free) and search for ksbridges.  There you will find many many pictures of the Boys.  They capture our daily funnies. 

I'll be back soon with more updates.  They are so much fun these days and I can't wait to share more fun with you.  Thanks for being a part of this crazy journey.

Mother’s Day 2011

Dear Mom,

When you take on as many things as you have – the busy days and sleepless nights, the comings and the goings, the learning and the accepting, and you do them all with love, you are not just pretty amazing, you are the perfect definition of what a Mother should be. I hope to be as wonderful of a mother to my children as you have been to me.

All my love,
Kenny Kay

________________________

This year Mother's Day takes on a whole new meaning, but I'm not going to write about being a new mother. I'm going to keep this special day all to myself. I'll just say this, my heart runneth over with love.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there.   

City Girl

I am a City Girl.  That's all there is to it.  Not necessarily by choice, rather it's all I've ever known.  I've only swam in a pond a couple of times, I'm not a fan of bugs, I've never been camping.

Easter weekend we loaded up the car and headed south on I-35 to Marietta, Oklahoma.  We stayed at the home of our good friends that we've referred to as "The Farm" since I was a child.  Not really sure why we call it The Farm since nothing is "farmed" there.  While on our get-a-way, we did and saw things we wouldn't normally in Suburbia, America.

#1 - My cousin's son, Blue (who is 8) shot a snake and brought it to us to see.  It was huge!  When I asked what happened to the belly of the snake he replied "well, I shot it" as if saying, what else do you think happened to it. 

#2 - Aunt Lenora has a couple of chicken coops and we ate fresh eggs in the best chicken salad ever!

#3 - Trent and I hiked to the creek at The Farm with ear protection, eye protection, lots of ammunition and a hand gun.  Yep, it's time I learned to shoot a gun.  I'll admit, I've been a little anxious about it (ok, a lot anxious) and finally overcame my fear.  Here are a few photos of me and Trent in action.  Blue shot the snake at age 8, like no big deal, and here I was (at a much more mature age) a little nervous. 

  

I couldn't stop laughing while Trent was taking my picture. 
By the way, the gun was not loaded at this time.

  

Finally, a serious face.  Hand guns really aren't a joking matter.

 

Doesn't he look tough!

  

He's a much better shot than I am.



Easter Weekend

We traveled to Marietta, Oklahoma for Easter weekend.  I can't believe how much stuff we took.  Just take a look at the back of our car. 

 

You would think we were going to be gone for a week, nope just two nights.    

Bottles, diapers (lots of diapers), wipes, formula, baby food, several changes of clothes for each kiddo for each day, jammies, blankets, toys, etc.  Then stuff for me and stuff for Trent.  We considered taking Bailey, but so glad we didn't because she and her stuff (toys and dog food) wouldn't fit in the car.  I'm pretty sure I over packed, but better to have too much then not enough. 

  

The Boys did pretty well in the car considering the 2 hour trip took us 3.5 hours with construction and we got stuck in a hail storm.  Luckily no hail damage to the car.  I'm so glad we have a big vehicle because I was able to crawl in the back and feed them during the ride. 

It was great to get away for the weekend and to spend time with family and friends.  It was a lot of work getting us all packed up, but well worth it. 

More posts to come on our weekend adventures.

Travel Tip:  Fill extra bottles with water for the car ride so if they get hungry or just need some comfort all you have to do is add powdered formula.  I only packed two bottles for the car ride down, but wished I would have packed extra, if for nothing else, just peace of mind. 

My handsome Boys on Easter Sunday. 
Brooks is on the left and Jackson on the right.

How To: Baby Food - Carrots, Applesauce and Green Beans

I've been eager to make baby food, but haven't had the time or ingredients when I did have the time.  Luckily, one day last week I came home to two super happy babies so I jumped at my chance to do a little cooking/experimenting and here is how it went down.

I started with fresh baby carrots. 

Steamed until fork tender.

 

Chopped

Added water to get desired consistency.

  

Finished product

 I repeated the same process for applesauce.

Cored and pealed two apples.

Steamed

Pureed

Next up was green beans; I didn't have fresh so I used frozen.

Microwaved for 6 minutes in the steamer bag.

Chopped

I later realized I should have used the blender on the green beans to get a smoother texture.

I poured the carrots, apples and green beans in ice trays to freeze.  This way I can thaw what I need each day or every couple of days.  There are all kinds of products on the market to streamline this process, but I wanted to try it first with what I had before spending $200 on the cooking gadget and individual storage containers.

All-in-all, it was relatively easy and didn't take that much time to make.  Cost wise, it's a lot cheaper to make fresh then to purchase pre-made baby food. 

Since I enjoyed making it so much, I think I will treat myself to one of these cook books.

The Boys chillin in the kitchen while I cooked.

Working the Vocal Cords

Jackson's new thing is to squeal.  Have a listen. 



I have a few more videos to post.  Hopefully, I'll get to them tomorrow.

Let's Go Thunder - Playoffs 2011

The Thunder made it to the Playoffs again! 

First round is against Denver.

This sign is hanging between the buildings Trent and I work in.
I love working downtown!

Yummy Yummy

According to Doctor V, it will take the Boys about 2 weeks to master the art of eating from a spoon, therefore we started the Boys on rice cereal so they'll have the hang of it by the time they get to the 6 month mark. Then they'll start on veggies and fruit.

Speaking of veggies and fruit, every time I flip through the William Sonoma catalogue the Beaba Baby Food Maker jumps out at me. It's calling my name. It says buy me, use me, I will make your life so much easier, then I think about all the free time I have (zilch) and realize it probably isn't that great of an idea.  Gerber Baby Food it is.

When I feed Jackson, he makes funny faces and pushes most of the cereal out of his mouth.  Brooks acts a little confused, but eats it anyways.  


Brooks

 

Jackson

I feed them in the kitchen sink sitting in their bathseat so I can just hose them off after the whole feeding expereince.  I need to start putting a bib on them so they can get used to it.  Matter of fact, I should probably wear one too, since some of it always ends up on me.  As you can tell from these pictures, they need more practice so more stays in their mouth and less on their face!

Wordless Wednesday - Jackson and Trent

What a mess

My hair has caused me angst the majority of my life.  When I was little, I can remember sitting at the vanity and Mom painstakingly combing out all the tangles.  It was awful.  I would protest and she would tell me "you have to suffer to be beautiful." 

When I got a little older Mom permed my hair.  I still question this decision considering I have naturally curly hair.  I guess it was the thing to do.

When I was in high school I wanted big beautiful curls, not the tiny messy curls I naturally have.  So I got a perm from some beauty school flunky at JC Penny's in the Ardmore Mall, then cried as I left because the curls where even tighter than I had to begin with. 

In my 20's I straightened my hair.  I would spend hours working on it.

Now in my 30's, I've finally accepted my hair for what it is.  I don't perm, I don't straighten, I just embrace it.

Then I got pregnant. 

Due to a spike in your estrogen level, you loose little hair while pregnant.  I had thick beautiful hair.

Now, post pregnancy my hair is a mess.  That fabulous estrogen level has plummeted and I now find my hairs everywhere, EVERYWHERE.  I thought our dog shed a lot, now it's me.  I loose it by the handfuls.  My ponytail is wimpy and my hair is just...yuck.  It should be back to normal within a year.  Just one more way my body has suffered for these great babies. 

Speaking of babies, here they are just two weeks old.  So tiny. 



Jackson and Brooks



5 Months Old - April 6, 2011

Yesterday, the Boys turned 5 months old!  I sang Happy Birthday to them.  They just looked at me funny.

I'm so amazed at how much the Boys have grown and developed in five short months.  They've gone from having a bobblehead to holding their heads high.  They used to sleep a lot and now are awake most of the day.  They used to stare through me, now they turn their head and follow me as I walk away.  They are ticklish, they giggle, Jackson squeals and Brooks is scooting across the floor.  I can't wait to see what the next five months bring.

For their five month picture, I tried to recreate the picture taken of them on their first day at home.

And this is what I got...

When they both get going, they sure can be loud!

After I finally got them settled, I was able to get some great shots.  I couldn't pick just one for the blog, so here they all are. 



Their facial expressions really make me giggle.



Jackson loves to swat at Brooks' face.



Happy Birthday, Jackson and Brooks!

Rocking in the Nursery

After a long night of feedings, a crazy morning of getting the Boys packed up and out the door, working all day, entertaining the Boys after work and then bathtime, I find that I need some downtown.  I mean I really need some downtime. 

After the Boys go to bed, I know I should be doing something more productive (like laundry), but I find that sitting in the rocking chair in the dark and quiet nursery makes it all melt away. 

There is something so peaceful about the hum of the fan along with their sweet breathing sounds.  Jackson is a quiet sleeper and Brooks, true to form, snores, but it's a sweet snore.

I sit in the dark, sometimes with my eyes closed, sometimes playing on my phone, but mostly just listening. 

Bathtime

Bathtime at the Bridges' house goes something like this...

Baby #1 in the kitchen sink

Baby #2 on the floor

Clean Baby #1

Baby #2 in the sink

Clean Baby #1 on the floor



Clean Baby #2



Dressed Baby #2

Clean Babies ready for St. Patrick's Day

In these pictures, Baby #1 is Brooks and Baby #2 is Jackson.